Now and Then
by xXNinjaKittyzXx
Summary: Not all is peaceful after the Dark Forest's defeat. Untold tales are revealed about the four clans. Follow the story of three orphaned kits as they earn their warrior names, uncover prophecies, secrets and lies, and find out the joy and heartbreak of a love separated by borders, all while discovering their past and who they really are. (NAMING CONTEST - Chapter 18)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A lone, large jagged rock stuck out of the dead earth, faint moonlight washing over it. Dead, tall trees surrounded either side, their branches bare as bone, the color, dark and drab now. A single, shining star could be seen in the night sky, blinking its greeting against the pitch-black backdrop. A figure sat alone on the tip of the rock, his dark tail swishing back and forth, his pointed ears flattened against its head, and his eyes, a soft shade of light yellow mixed with hints of golden-brown, narrowed in the dark.

Another figure, another cat, strolled calmly to the jagged rock and bounded easily on top to join the other one. This one mainly had a white pelt. A soft shade of white, almost creamy. A streak of ginger ran down his back.

"Brother," the second one greeted the first, dipping his head slightly.

The first, his pelt jet-black, darker than an eclipse in the night, turned his soft amber gaze onto the white cat.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

The white cat's striking orange eyes resembled a burning flame, the tint of gold in his orbs only adding to the effect.

"It's not your business where I go," said cat replied. His tone of voice softened. "But it is not a big deal. You do not have to worry."

The black cat flicked an ear. "Have you found anything else about the Dark Forest? Is all peaceful?"

"Yes, the four clans have defeated them once and for all. All is fine. You shouldn't worry, my brother."

"Alright, then. I'll trust your word."

"Everything is fine. The clans are currently at peace also." With that, the white cat leaped off and padded away. "I'll see you later."

"Thanks for the report."

The raven-pelted tom stared up at the full moon.

"The prophecy," he whispered, to no one in particular. "The Dark Forest will rise again. This peace and tranquility will not last long. The clans will be forced into misunderstanding, leading to betrayal, advancing to battle. Traitors and secrets will be revealed. No… All is not fine."

He sighed.

"I know where you have gone, brother, what you have done. The Dark Forest is involved, as well as three kits. This rebellion won't last, and you know that. You are foolish."

As the last of the white tomcat's outline disappeared into the dead forest, the night-colored cat hissed into the never-ending darkness.

"Liar."

* * *

**That was only the prologue and I know it was very short, but I'm not really a fan of very long chapters. However the actual chapters (not the prologue) will be longer. Please review! ^ ^ And follow if you liked it! Ok, I know not much is here right now but please keep reading 'cause the prologue isn't too detailed or explanatory. :/**


	2. Chapter 1: Orphans

**Chapter 1: Orphans**

The city streets were dark and eerily quiet, with the occasional flickering streetlight lighting up a patch of the road, and the rain pattering down in steady rhythms. Dark clouds hung low in the night sky and covered the stars, shielding them from view.

A dark-colored, long-haired kitten could be made out padding along the side of the road, his deep blue eyes stretching wide to focus in the dark surroundings, his fur slick from the rain. He leaped past the silent street onto a sidewalk and walked past into a corner, and disappeared into an alleyway. Once there, he slipped into a large and damp cardboard box that was turned sideways, with the opening facing the side. Inside, there were two other kits, one male with short golden-orange fur, and one female with a slightly longer silver and white pelt.

"Dusty!" the silver-and-white kit called as she saw the dark grey male kitten pad into the box. "You're back!"

"Where have you been?" the flame-colored male asked the dark-colored kit, who was his brother, Dusty.

Dusty dropped some pieces of damp bread from his jaws. "Here. I was just out finding some food for us."

The silver-and-white she-kit, Snowflake, tentatively sniffed the bread, then took a bite afterward, and the orange-pelted kit, Dasher, eyed the piece of Twoleg food with a disapproving gaze.

"This is all you could find?" Dasher asked his older brother, Dusty. "This isn't enough!"

Dusty's blue eyes narrowed. "Well, I'm sorry, but real food is scarce here. Much of the Twoleg's food could be dangerous. We don't know what it's made of."

"I don't care," Dasher growled, moody because he was hungry. "I'm going to die of hunger before anything else at this rate. Let's just eat the Twoleg food. We don't have a choice!"

Dusty remained silent, but he was still against the idea. Even though they only survived on bits of food, they were still alive, and the three litter mates were still together, and that's what was most important right now.

A few moments later, Dusty saw his younger brother starting to munch on the bread like their sister, obviously with no other choice.

Dusty, Dasher, and Snowflake were orphaned kits. Their mother had struggled to take care of them after their father mysteriously disappeared one day, but that was still when the kits were very young. Their mother had been sick, yet the kits couldn't do anything to help then. One day, she died, leaving the young ones to fend for themselves. Before she passed on, she left the oldest kit—and arguably the smartest and most responsible—in charge, who was Dusty. He promised his mother at that time to look after his younger brother and sister, and he knew he wouldn't break a promise. His litter mates were extremely important to him too, after all.

Dusty looked down, seeing the pieces of bread gone. Snowflake immediately lowered her head with a guilty look in her green eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dusty," she mumbled. "We forgot to save some for you."

Dusty flicked an ear. "That's okay," he said. "I already ate a bit. The bread was for you guys."

Dasher's striking amber eyes focused on the rain outside the cardboard box, the dull scene making his yellow orbs seemingly drab in color.

"I wish the rain would stop…" he kept muttering under his breath, his voice almost inaudible, but Dusty heard him. Moments later, it twisted into, "I wish Mother didn't die… I wish we weren't orphans…_ I wish_…"

"You can wish all you want, Dasher," Dusty mumbled. "It's not going to happen."

Dasher's ears perked up, surprised someone heard him. Then he emitted a low hiss. "Life is so unfair."

Dusty sighed, knowing well he wished the same thing. But he was told and expected to be the responsible one, the one who would keep his younger litter mates in order. Sometimes, he wished he could just melt away with the falling rain.

"We have to see the bright side of everything, Dasher," the dark grey kit spoke to the flame-colored tabby kit. "That's what Mother used to tell us."

"Don't you see?" Dasher's amber eyes narrowed. "There is no bright side! We're only kits, and we're alone, we're sick, we're starving, and we're gonna die if this keeps on!"

Dusty kept his blue eyes directed downward, his long, dark grey fur tinted a slight shade of blue. They were still technically considered kits, but Dusty was just about old enough to be called a juvenile, and the other two were close as well. However, it was still very hard for them to survive on their own,

"Hush, don't talk so loud. Snowflake's sleeping," Dusty whispered. "And we're not alone. We have each other."

Dasher's hard gaze softened a bit. He sighed and laid down, next to his silver-and-white tabby sister, watching her flank slightly rise and fall as she slept soundly to the harmony of the rain, occasionally shivering due to the cold.

"You're right." Dasher smiled slightly. "We're survivors, like Mother said. We'll make it."

Dusty smiled too, and laid down next to his brother and sister. "We can keep this up. We'll survive."

"Yeah, but…" Dasher closed his eyes. "But, for how long?"

The question was left unanswered as the three young kittens all closed their eyes and drifted off into slumber, dreaming of another reality, someplace else.

* * *

**Second chapter! ^_^ Oops.**

**Sorry, FIRST chapter. The first one was a prologue, so this is the official first actual chapter. :3**

**Please review! :) And follow and favorite if you want! 3 (Please do if you like the story!) **

**'Til next time! :D**


	3. Chapter 2: A New Home

**Chapter 2: A New Home**

Several sunrises passed, and sunrises slowly turned into quarter-moons.

The three felines kept wandering from place to place, and for a long time, they were unable to find a stable home. At last, they decided to settle in the barn of a farm, making the decision only one sunrise ago. They grew older as well, now juveniles, but still young.

One time, at sunhigh, the two cats—Dusty and Snowflake—were in the fields of the farm, just outside a small town. Dasher told them he had something to do, and so he left early in the morning, while Dusty and Snowflake explored the crops.

"This place is really nice," Snowflake said cheerfully, her pelt gleaming in the sunlight as she strode through the fields. "I'm glad we found it."

"Yes, it's peaceful," Dusty replied with a smile. "And the Twolegs here don't care much about us, so that's good."

"Yeah…" Snowflake closed her eyes and turned to face the sun. "Maybe we can stay here forever."

Dusty's smile faded a bit. "Maybe."

Suddenly, a beige-colored mouse popped up from behind the crops, then hid again and scurried along the ground. Dusty's blue-grey ears twitched. He could hear, _feel _the mouse and its heartbeat as he pressed close to the earth. He remembered seeing Mother hunt prey for them, and she'd taught them about hunting too. He tried to imitate her movements from moons ago.

_Flatten your tail and ears and body. Press yourself to the ground to listen for the prey's movements and heartbeat. Be silent. As if you're invisible, not even here…_

The mouse suddenly bolted away as Dusty took a step forward. His eyes immediately widened, and he dashed after the small mammal. Sprinting through the field, he tried to search for the mouse, his paws flying, but ended up losing track of it after a while.

He slowed down to a halt and panted.

"Tough luck, huh?" Snowflake came trotting up from behind and looked at Dusty with her wide, deep green eyes.

The dark grey tom sighed. "Sometimes I wish I had Dasher's skill at hunting. He's a natural."

Snowflake flicked her silver-and-white ringed tail in thought.

"The first time Mother showed us how to hunt, he caught on," Dusty remembered. "He was good at stalking prey and pinpointing them and pouncing on them." Snowflake nodded slightly in agreement. Her brother was good at following other animals' movements and tracking them down. After a few heartbeats, Dusty mumbled, "However, I think that for him, it's more about the kill than the chase."

Dusty's sister stared at him in confusion. _Of course it is, that's the whole point, isn't it? You chase the prey to track it down and kill it, so you can have a meal,_ Snowflake thought. But Dusty was arguably the most intelligent one out of the three of them, and sometimes Snowflake couldn't quite pick up the meaning behind his words.

"Anyway, we should head back to the barn," Snowflake broke the silence. "Dasher will probably be back soon, and don't worry, there are so much wrens and sparrows and mice here that we won't ever go hungry again."

Dusty smiled. "You're right. We won't. We won't have to go back to struggling for survival every second of every day."

_But how long will this last? _he wondered secretly. _Certainly not forever. I only wish Snowflake knew, but I wouldn't want to break her moment of true happiness._

And Dusty put on a fake smile and padded back to the large red barn at the edge of the fields, his sister flanking his side.

* * *

Two narrowed olive-colored eyes shone through the shade.

"We're not alone." A low growl was heard.

Another cat joined the first one. The second, a she-cat with a brown tabby pelt, had her bright green eyes focused on the red barn.

"Relax, Hudson," the she-cat spoke to the tom. "There's no one else here except for the Twolegs. That's how it always was."

"No, Autumn," hissed the black and white tomcat, Hudson. "There is, no, /are/, other cats here. Intruders. I am sure of it. I sense them."

He slid into the barn through the large doors, which were left ajar, tasting the air, trying to find the so-called "intruders". The tabby she-cat, Autumn, sighed and padded after him.

"I hope not."

* * *

"Oh, look!" Snowflake's dark emerald eyes widened as she noticed a white and beige owl perched on one of the wooden planks supporting the top of the barn.

"It's a barn owl," Dusty remarked. "They aren't any danger to us. They mostly prey on mice or shrews or smaller animals."

"That's good." Snowflake sighed in relief. She brightened up a bit. "Let's explore this place. Get to know it better. We've never even been inside this barn before."

They gazed around the barn. There were some other animals as well, ones that the Twolegs raised.

"There are chickens and some cows and pigs too," Dusty observed. "But they won't be a harm either."

"Wow!" Snowflake exclaimed, leaping around and exploring every corner of the barn. "This place is amazing!"

She bounded onto one of the wooden planks and neared the owl in a stalking position, her body flat against the wood. The owl instantly flashed a wide-eyed stare at her and flew off. Snowflake leaped down again, sighing in defeat.

"You won't be able to catch an owl, Snowflake," Dusty told her, chuckling a bit.

"It would've been a great meal," Snowflake retorted.

Suddenly, a screeching yowl rang through the barn.

"Who are you intruders?!"

The other animals tried to locate the source of the sound, and Snowflake and Dusty froze, their eyes wide.

"Well, what do we have here?" A large tom emerged from the shadows, his eyes glinting, sharp teeth bared, claws unsheathed. His pelt was white with splashes of jet-black.

"Oh no…"

All of a sudden, a streak of gold and orange struck down to the ground. The new figure, though much smaller than the first tom, had their ears flattened against their head, their amber eyes narrowed, in a fighting position as well.

Dusty couldn't move, only watching the two cats faced against one another, looking as if they were ready to pounce on each other at any moment, and a single word was all Snowflake could muster. But it was enough.

"Dasher!"

* * *

**PLEASE please please review! It really means so much to me! 3 If you liked it, then great! Tell me what I did that was good, and if you didn't like it, that's ok as well because I'm still learning and I'm nowhere near a great writer yet, but I'd like to know how I can improve.**

**Keep in mind that the first — about 4 or so — chapters won't be super super exciting and dramatic and stuff. It will have some but not really really exciting. That's at about chapter 5 or 6 and after, after the four clans get involved (ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, RiverClan; same clans but different cats because many years already passed). There will be a lot of adventure and some mystery and romance and friendship and almost every genre! So please please keep reading, I promise it'll be really good. **

**Thx, I love you guys! 3 Bye bye for now! ^ ^**


	4. Chapter 3: Friends

**Chapter 3: Friends **

The young golden tom's amber eyes were narrowed, a threatening glare sent to the other large black-and-white tomcat. The large patched cat wore more of a surprised expression.

"Dasher, this isn't the time to be fighting," Dusty growled. "Don't evoke more unneeded tension."

"Who is he?" Snowflake mewed.

"I am Hudson," the black-and-white cat snarled. "And you are in _my_ barn."

Dasher immediately hissed. "This isn't your barn! We found it a day ago and there was no one living in it, so we made it our home!"

"Dasher…" Dusty warned. "Don't get into a fight."

"We should run," Snowflake whispered, frightened.

"No," Dasher said, determined. "We will not lose this home."

"Me and my mate have lived here for years," Hudson growled. "You do not have permission to come barging in here without our permission."

"We can do what we want!" Dasher snapped. "Don't you give us orders!"

Hudson yowled and pounced on the young golden tabby. Snowflake gasped and backed up a few steps, wanting to break them apart but not wanting to get involved.

Before anyone could make a move, a brown tabby she-cat leaped down from one of the planks overhead, her green eyes gleaming in the dark as she hissed to the black-and-white patched tomcat, "Hudson! That's enough!"

Hudson growled and backed off upon hearing his mate's voice. He spun around to face her. "Autumn, these strangers have just barged into _our_ home, eating _our_ kill, without permission! That's unacceptable!"

"Calm down," Autumn mewed in a soothing voice. "Maybe there's a misunderstanding."

Hudson was just about to retort back when Dusty spoke.

"I'm very sorry, we didn't know that this was your home," the young dark grey-blue tom explained. "When we found this place yesterday, there were no other cats here, so we thought it was safe to say the barn was ours."

Hudson resisted snarling at them as Autumn calmed him down. Snowflake was helping Dasher up, with Dasher insisting that he was fine and didn't need her help. Upon inspection, Dasher didn't suffer any serious injuries. Only some light scratches here and there, which would heal very quickly. Aside from that, he seemed fine.

"See? This was only a misunderstanding. No need to get so fed up over it." Autumn smiled, trying to calm her mate.

"Completely a misunderstanding," Snowflake stepped up and spoke. "You see, we're loners and we don't have a home. We were born in a Twoleg's city, and we've struggled to survive. If we could just have a meal and rest for a bit, we'll leave as soon as you want."

"You're just wanderers? In a Twoleg city?" Autumn purred. "Of course you can stay. Stay for as long as you need to. And don't worry, there are a lot of mice and shrews and birds here. Prey isn't a problem."

Hudson was going to argue, but in the end, decided not to.

"You'd let us?" Snowflake asked in disbelief and joy. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Thank you very much, but if it's bothering you, you don't have to let us—"

Autumn interrupted Dusty's sentence. "Oh, it's no problem at all. Trust me. Hudson has no problem with it either." Hudson thought it over and decided it wouldn't be too bad. At least just for a few days.

Dusty smiled and dipped his head. "Thank you very much." He nudged Dasher rather strongly.

"Th-thank you." Dasher bowed slightly as well.

Autumn smiled. Guests were rare and she was truly glad to have them.

* * *

"So you've lived here since you were a kit?" Snowflake asked the brown tabby she-cat, intrigued in their conversation as they basked in the warm sunlight, lying on the lush green grass outside the barn. Dasher claimed he needed to leave for a while again (with some slight suspicion from his two litter mates, but they let it go) and Dusty was exploring the fields and what was beyond the barn.

"Yes," Autumn answered; this conversation conjured up the old memories. "Me, Hudson, and my parents. Me and Hudson were great friends back then."

"How did you and Hudson meet?" Snowflake asked.

"When I met him, he was a loner. He was thin as can be, and didn't have any food, shelter, friends, or family," Autumn explained. Snowflake reflected back on how things were for her and her brothers just a few quarter-moons ago.

"We invited him to stay at this barn after seeing the condition he was in," the brown she-cat continued. "He was just a stranger to us all at first, but I later found he was actually a really caring and kind cat."

Snowflake cocked her head in surprise, then realized it was kind of rude.

Autumn just laughed a bit. "I know he doesn't seem like the most friendly one, but he actually is. He can be just be over-protective. Anyway, we became fast friends and played together all the time. Even after moons, he still stayed at the barn. I didn't want him to leave, and my mother and father saw him like he was one of their children. We all got along very nicely."

"So what happened to your parents?"

"They… They were killed… in a dog attack," Autumn murmured.

Snowflake's dark emerald eyes widened. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It's alright." Autumn bit back a few tears from memories of her parents, but shook the thoughts off and continued on with the story. "Hudson and I continued to live here, though. It's a really nice place. Prey is always plentiful, there's shelter when it's raining, and the Twolegs who also live here don't bother us at all. I think they like that we're getting rid of those pesky mice for them."

"It is nice." Snowflake sighed. "I wish we could live here forever, but we can't. It's your home."

"Oh no, if you want to, we'd be more than happy to—" Autumn started, but ended up getting interrupted by the young silver-and-white tabby.

"We really can't. You already live here, and I don't think it's the best idea. You have to consider how Hudson would feel too," Snowflake said.

Autumn crossed her front paws, and sighed. "You're right." A few moments later, she brightened up. "But feel free to stay for now, and visit whenever you want, even after you leave to find a new home."

"We will." Snowflake smiled.

At that moment, Dusty padded up to them, his blue eyes showing a bit of worry.

"Dusty? What's wrong?" Snowflake questioned when seeing him. Autumn looked over, clearly wanting to ask the same thing.

"Nothing… It's just that…" Dusty began. "Have you seen Dasher?"

"He said he needed to go somewhere again. I think he should be back soon," Snowflake replied.

"Again?" Dusty's ear twitched, not entirely believing his brother anymore. "Have you asked where he's going?"

"No, but I'm sure he's safe," Snowflake said. "Even though Dasher can be a bit irresponsible sometimes, he knows what he's doing."

Dusty sighed. "I need to be sure. He's already done this more than once. I need to know where exactly he's going."

"But you know Dasher. And you know he's probably not going to tell that easily."

"Well, he needs to inform us as well." Dusty stared down at the ground in thought.

Suddenly, a golden-furred figure stepped out from behind some bushes.

"Dasher!" Snowflake exclaimed. "There you are!"

"Where have you been, Dasher?" Dusty asked, his dark blue eyes narrowed a bit, his tone hard.

Autumn decided it would be best to leave them alone for now, and she slipped away silently.

Dasher didn't immediately respond, still glancing around.

"Dasher!" Dusty called again.

Dasher seemed to just notice them and started bounding toward them. "Oh, hey."

"'_Hey_'?" Dusty growled faintly. "Where have you even been? And why weren't you responding to your name?"

"Oh, I just went to… uh… catch some prey," Dasher told them. Snowflake flicked an ear, not entirely believing him, and Dusty's blue eyes narrowed more. "And I just wasn't paying much attention. You know, mind was somewhere else. No big deal, don't worry."

"Where is the prey, then?" Dusty pressed on.

"The prey?" Dusty could hear his brother gulp faintly, but he caught it. "I… didn't end up catching it," Dasher said.

_You're lying, Dasher,_ Dusty thought, and he knew the tom wasn't telling the truth.

"Oh, that's alright," Snowflake responded at last. Dusty could tell she didn't quite believe him either, but they both decided to drop the subject for now.

"Come on, you should get to know Autumn more," Snowflake said cheerfully. "And apologize to Hudson too, Dasher. You were the one who started it."

"What!" Dasher exclaimed. "No, he was!"

Dusty knew their little argument was only a friendly one. He watched as they slowly walked away and out of sight. He sighed.

"Why are you lying to us?"

* * *

**Alright, that's chapter 3! Looks like Snowflake made a new friend. But Dusty still has suspicions for his brother. Why do you think Dasher lied? What is he ****_really_**** doing, then? Or maybe Dusty's wrong and Dasher actually is telling the truth. **

**You'll have to wait and see! ^ ^ I promise the updates will be fairly quick. Well, unless I'm struck with Writer's Block. DX**

**Bye! Love you guys! :D And please do review! :)**


	5. Chapter 4: The Four Clans

**Chapter 4: The Four Clans**

The next sunrise came quickly. The rising sun tinted the sky pink and blazing golden.

"Have you heard of the four clans?" Autumn asked, in conversation with the three young cats, Hudson at her side while they rested in the barn. Hudson and Dasher both apologized and forgave each other, and they were all getting quite comfortable with one another.

Snowflake wore an excited expression, and Dasher suddenly seemed very cautious of the topic. Dusty watched him closely.

"Oh, I have!" Snowflake exclaimed. "They're ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan, right?"

"Right." Autumn smiled.

"They're always getting into fights with each other." Hudson sighed. "They have what's called warriors—cats trained to hunt, track, and fight."

"That's right," Autumn agreed. "The warrior cats are what makes the clans famous, even among loners and rogues. Almost every cat near has heard of them."

"Where exactly do they live?" Dusty asked.

"Each clan has a different territory," Hudson explained. "There's a very large lake in the center, and ThunderClan and ShadowClan are separated from us by that lake. WindClan is very near. They live in a territory of hills and valleys. RiverClan is also near, they live beside a river. They all have large territories."

"Wow…" Snowflake sighed dreamily. "I wish I can be a warrior one day. That sounds really cool."

Dusty noticed Dasher fidgeting, a distant look in his eyes, and realized he was clearly not paying attention to the conversation.

"I need to talk with Dasher outside," Dusty suddenly said, his tone stern, directed at the flame-colored tabby. All eyes turned to him. Dasher, a bit surprised, stood up and followed his older brother out the barn. After a few moments, Snowflake went back to her conversation with her new friends, Autumn and Hudson, like nothing happened.

Outside, Dusty turned to Dasher.

"Alright, Dasher, what is going on?" he asked, his blue eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Dusty said. "You claiming you need to go somewhere everyday. Where exactly are you going? What are you doing? Because I know it's not to hunt prey."

Dasher looked surprised. He didn't know someone would find out so soon, but he expected nothing less from the ever observant and intelligent Dusty. To Dusty's surprise now, Dasher's once shocked expression turned into an excited, giddy one.

"What is it?" he asked, confused.

"I need to show you something," he said. "And Snowflake too."

With the orange-and-golden tabby in the lead, they slipped into the barn through the door, which was left open. They quickly located Snowflake and the two barn cats, and padded over.

"Snowflake, we're leaving," Dasher declared abruptly. Snowflake stared at him, thinking he was joking, but noticed his eyes were very serious. Hudson and Autumn stood up, not knowing what was wrong. Even Dusty was surprised. His brother had never said anything about leaving the barn.

"Leaving?" Autumn said, wide-eyed with some worry. "Why? Have we done something wrong?"

"No, not at all!" Snowflake exclaimed. She shot a glare to Dasher, clearly questioning why he said that.

"You've done nothing wrong," said Dasher. "It's just that we've found a new home already, and we don't want to keep being a bother here."

"New home?" Hudson asked. Everyone else seemed to have the same question.

"But you—" Autumn started.

"Trust me, we'll be fine," Dasher said.

"I… I guess we'll be leaving, then?" Dusty mewed, still uncertain.

"If you're sure…" Autumn began. "Then, alright."

"We'll come visit when we have time," Dasher spoke. "Promise."

"I guess this is goodbye," Hudson said.

"Hope to see you again soon!" called Autumn as the three young cats started to walk away, Snowflake still in a daze.

"Goodbye," Dusty called, dipping his head, while Dasher nodded in acknowledgement, and Snowflake called out a "bye", not sure what was going on.

The barn suddenly became much quieter to the two barn cats.

"That was… sudden," Autumn mewed. "They were only here for three sunrises."

Hudson nodded. "Well, at least we can finally have some peace and quiet."

Autumn just chuckled. "I hope they do good in their new home, and that they'll come back and visit soon."

Outside, Snowflake was just spluttering out words at Dasher.

"Why did you make us leave? What new home? You never told us about a new home! We were doing great there! Why—"

"Trust me, it's a fantastic new home." Dasher grinned.

"How come you never told us?" Dusty asked, a bit upset. "Was that why you were sneaking away everyday?"

"I'll explain later," Dasher promised. "But you should see first."

With one last look to the barn, Dusty and Snowflake followed Dasher (Snowflake quite reluctantly) away from the farm and across a dirt road, over a field and onto a hill, overlooking a beautiful valley. Flowers danced in the breeze and songbirds flew by overhead with their enchanting melodies. A few fluffy, white clouds dotted the light cerulean sky. To Dusty's and Snowflake's surprise, they spotted many cats in the valley as well. Some were speeding after rabbits and hares, some were chatting with one another, and others were simply basking in the sun.

"Wow," breathed Snowflake. "This place is beautiful!"

"What is this place?" Dusty asked, the lush green grass and specks of flowers reflected in his blue eyes.

Dasher's amber eyes held a spark in them as he looked over the vast hills and valley. He smiled and faced them.

"Welcome to WindClan."

* * *

**So the three have arrived at WindClan! :) It seems Dasher's been there before too. Also, remember that many years have already passed and the cats aren't the same, so there'll be new ones. The next chapter will be longer and focus more on the three litter mates and WindClan.**

**Please review! :P**

**PS don't forget about Autumn and Hudson, lol. I just mean (maybe... probably) ****they're gonna be featured later on. I almost never introduce a new**** character without them making another appearance later on! :P Well of course, unless they're only a passerby and don't have many lines. xD**


	6. Chapter 5: Warriors of the Wind

**Chapter 5: Warriors of the Wind **

"WindClan?"

Dusty and Snowflake looked over the dazzling valley with wide eyes. The light settled on each and every blade of grass and made the dewdrops on them shimmer in the sun.

"Come on, meet my friends," Dasher said, smiling as he lead the way down to WindClan's camp, his two litter mates following close behind.

"Your friends?" Snowflake asked, but before she could get an answer from the golden tom, a large orange tabby tomcat with a torn ear came padding toward them.

"Goldpaw, glad to see you're back," he mewed. "Are these friends of yours?"

"Blazershade," Dasher (Goldpaw?) dipped his head and greeted back. "This is my brother, Dusty." He gestured toward the grey-blue tom, and Dusty dipped his head respectfully in response. "And this is Snowflake, my sister." Snowflake was still in awe at the scenery.

"Welcome to WindClan." The large orange tabby, Blazershade, smiled.

"Goldpaw, you have to go on a border patrol a while later. And I need to schedule some things."

Dusty and Snowflake saw Dasher whisper something into Blazershade's ear that they didn't quite catch. In response, Blazershade said, "You should speak with Echostar about that." After that, he gave a last nod to Dusty and Snowflake and walked off.

"That was Blazershade, the deputy," Dasher told his litter mates after seeing their confused expressions.

"Deputy?" Snowflake asked. "What's that?"

"I'll explain later," Dasher said. "I'll show you around, and we need to talk with Echostar."

"Echostar?" Dusty mewed. "Dasher, who is Echostar?"

"Trust me, everything will make sense," Dasher spoke, padding away and beckoning for them to follow. They did.

The young golden tabby halted and turned around just for a heartbeat.

"And please, call me Goldpaw."

* * *

They strolled through the valley. The whole clan's eyes were on them, and some were muttering under their breath, while others just shot curious looks at Dusty and Snowflake. Dusty was very conscious of this, and he kept wanting to speak with his brother, but every time he tried, the words didn't end up leaving his mouth.

_This had better make sense, _he thought.

Snowflake was bounding alongside Dasher—no, Goldpaw now—and any sadness of leaving the barn cats was seemingly gone. Her emerald eyes sparkled as they reflected the blue sky. She ran as fast as she could, and for the first time in her life, she did. Her paws flew above the blades of grass, the breeze lifted her up, and she felt free. Truly free.

"This is like the barn," mewed Snowflake happily. "But better. Much better."

"I'm glad you like it." Goldpaw grinned. As Snowflake slowed to a halt, he turned to both of them.

"WindClan, just like the other three clans, follows the orders of a leader. The leader here is Echostar," Goldpaw explained. They kept walking. "There is also a deputy, who you met earlier: Blazershade. The deputy takes lead and main responsibility for the clan's actions when the leader isn't able to, and the deputy will take the place of leader after the previous leader dies. There are also medicine cats, the healers of the clan, and they get special messages from StarClan. Did I talk about StarClan yet? Well…"

After explaining the ranks of the clan and how it all works, plus the responsibilities and jobs of each cat and warrior names, Goldpaw announced, "We're here. The leader's den."

Snowflake was sweeping her silver-and-white ringed tail back and forth impatiently with excitement, while Dusty had a skeptical look.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered to Goldpaw. "It's great that you've found this place, but will they welcome us?"

"Of course they will," Goldpaw replied confidently. "They treat each other like family."

After a few moments, Goldpaw dipped his head and spoke into the den, "Goldpaw here to speak with Echostar." And frankly, Dusty never even knew he could be this polite. His manner was different, definitely, from the reckless little kitten he once knew.

"Goldpaw!" Echostar padded out and dipped her head toward the golden tom in greeting. She was a beautiful she-cat with a sleek figure and a well-groomed pale grey coat that shone under the sunlight, her muzzle and chest area a snowy white color, while her ears were dark grey.

Her light blue eyes widened a bit as she noticed the two young cats standing next to the apprentice.

"Goldpaw, are these your friends?" Echostar mewed, looking over Dusty and Snowflake.

"Oh, not just my friends," Goldpaw responded, answering the same question the clan deputy had asked earlier. "These are my litter mates. My older brother, Dusty, and my younger sister, Snowflake."

"You're siblings of Goldpaw?" Echostar asked, and the two nodded. She smiled. "Welcome to WindClan! Dusty and Snowflake, was it?"

"Yes," Dusty said, nodding. Snowflake smiled.

_They're all really nice, Dusty _thought._ Maybe this won't be so bad._

Goldpaw lead Echostar aside to have a word with her, while Dusty and Snowflake watched curiously.

"…So, can you?" Goldpaw asked.

"If you're sure, then I am." Echostar smiled. "And I'm sure the clan will welcome them too."

"I am sure."

"Alright then."

Goldpaw padded back to Dusty and a Snowflake with a grin. Echostar leaped up to a pile of boulders and then onto a ledge, overlooking part of the valley.

"WindClan, please gather for a ceremony!" she called out, and all the cats' ears instantly pricked up. They proceeded toward the ledge and sat down underneath in a crowd, gazing up at the leader.

Goldpaw beckoned for his two litter mates to stand at the bottom of the ledge. The two, still a bit confused as to what was going on, followed his instructions.

"Are we really going to become—" Snowflake began, whispering to Dusty, but got interrupted by Echostar as she spoke, loud and clear for the clan to hear.

"We have gathered here to welcome two new members of WindClan, as well two new apprentices," spoke Echostar. "Dusty and Snowflake, would you please come here?"

The two walked up to stand beside the grey-and-white she-cat.

"These two young cats have been loners and struggled to survive over these past moons," Echostar explained to the clan. "But they are indeed survivors, and most of all, they are the litter mates to one of our other recently-joined members, Goldpaw." She nodded toward Dusty, then Snowflake. "Dusty, your new apprentice name will be Bluepaw. And Snowflake, you will be renamed Whitepaw. We will teach you the ways of the warrior cats and this clan, and hope you can stay loyal members of WindClan for many, many seasons to come."

A moment of silence hung in the air, and Dusty—now Bluepaw—and Snowflake—named Whitepaw—were worried about the reaction.

_What if they don't welcome us? What if Goldpaw was wrong?_

But suddenly, a loud eruption of cheers filled the sky, many chanting their new names, and relief flooded over the two new apprentices. They saw Goldpaw smiling from the corner of their vision.

"I told you," he whispered to them, but cheerfully.

"That's it, we're apprentices of WindClan now," Whitepaw mewed, her tone happy, though. "I still can't believe what just happened. It was all so sudden, Dusty. I mean, Bluepaw." She laughed lightly. "These new names are going to take some getting used to."

"Yeah," Bluepaw agreed. "I'm not used to being called 'Bluepaw'."

"I like the name Bluepaw. I think it fits you," Whitepaw mewed, noticing her older brother's deep blue eyes and blueish grey pelt.

"Also," Echostar continued after the cheers and chanting gradually subsided, "these new apprentices will need mentors. Stormheart!" A muscular grey tom with amber eyes stood up from in the crowd of cats. "You are a brave, courageous, and fearless warrior with exceptional fighting skills. I hope you will pass those traits on to your new apprentice, Whitepaw." Stormheart dipped his head in understanding, flashing a light smile as greeting to Whitepaw.

"As for Bluepaw," Echostar continued. "Rainfeather!" A sleek white tom with light grey flecks stood up. "You will be mentor to Bluepaw here. You are smart in your techniques and tactics, and above all, very loyal too. Good luck with your new apprentice."

Rainfeather nodded toward Bluepaw, and Bluepaw dipped his head back.

"Alright, welcome our clan's newest members and apprentices!" Echostar made one final call out to the crowd. "This gathering is now dismissed!"

The cats began to stand up and separate, some doing their own individual duties, some going back to what they were doing, but many padded forward to welcome the new apprentices personally.

"Isn't this great?" Goldpaw asked.

Bluepaw smiled, glancing around. "This can actually work."

"What do you mean?" said Goldpaw. "This _will_ work! We'll be happy here, I promise."

"Goldpaw!" a she-cat's voice called. "You are scheduled for a border patrol! Come on!"

"Oh, sorry," Goldpaw mewed, bounding away to join a tortoiseshell she-cat, the one who called him over. "That's my mentor, Echowing. I need to go on a patrol. See you guys later!"

A moment later, Bluepaw and Whitepaw's new mentors, Rainfeather and Stormheart, padded over and welcomed them.

"Bluepaw, Whitepaw," Rainfeather greeted, dipping his head. "Welcome."

"So you're the new apprentices of WindClan, huh?" Stormheart mewed in a friendly tone, glancing down at them.

Bluepaw and Whitepaw looked at each other, their eyes asking silent questions to each other. But from the past moons of being orphans, loners on human territory, feeling lost and alone, to this, was a big change. A change for the better. So when the answer came to them, they smiled, the words leaving their mouths at the exact same time, harmonized as one.

"We sure are."

* * *

**So there you go! Two updates in one day. Not bad, huh? :) Haha, I was just bored and started writing the next chapter. Please review! Love you guys! :D And the next chapter will be at least a few days later or a week later. Or sometime between those times. :)**


	7. Chapter 6: Hunters

**Chapter 6: Hunters**

A half-moon passed by quickly, and Bluepaw and Whitepaw were settling well into WindClan, already making many friends.

One sunny day, Whitepaw was out in a hunting patrol with Goldpaw and another apprentice tom named Ashpaw, along with their mentors, Stormheart, Echowing, and Foxdash. The two apprentices trailed behind the others a few tail-lengths in conversation.

"So, are you enjoying being a member of WindClan?" Goldpaw asked his sister.

"Of course!" Whitepaw smiled, dark green eyes dazzling in the bright sunlight, fur sleek in the shine. "It's amazing! And all the cats here too."

"Hey, Goldpaw, Whitepaw!" a voice said. The two littermates looked ahead to see a black and grey tom calling them.

"Ashpaw!" Goldpaw bounded ahead to join his friend. "Whitepaw, come on!"

"Coming!" Whitepaw said. Ashpaw smiled.

They flanked each other, Whitepaw in the middle, as they padded across the grass, talking, following the older warriors.

They travelled across the plains until they reached a stream with some trees shading the gently flowing water.

"Alright," Stormheart said, turning to face the three apprentices as all of them halted. "We're here."

"We'll split up to find the prey," Echowing instructed. "This is to avoid scaring them away, and it'll be much easier and quicker than having all six cats rounding on one animal."

"Me and Ashpaw will hunt by the trees over there," Foxdash—Ashpaw's mentor—announced.

"Mind if we join you over there?" Stormheart asked.

"No, not at all," Foxdash answered. "Go ahead."

"Then me and Goldpaw will hunt by the stream," Echowing said.

They split up. Whitepaw followed her mentor to the shade of the trees.

"Animals that live here include predators, so be careful too," Stormheart told his apprentice, Whitepaw. Whitepaw nodded. "Have you been taught how to hunt before?"

"Well," Whitepaw thought back, "our mother had taught us before, but I'm not very good at hunting."

"Don't worry, after I'm done with you, you'll be the best hunter the clans have ever seen," Stormheart said, smiling proudly.

A batting of wings caught the two cats' attention. Whitepaw's ears perked up and Stormheart followed the noise to spot a warbler perched on one of the tree's lower branches.

"There," Stormheart whispered. "Watch what I do."

The large grey tom crouched down, his front legs bending so that his chin was almost touching the ground. His tail was straight and held low. His amber eyes narrowed, focused on the yellow bird. Whitepaw watched intently. Suddenly, the silver-and-white apprentice stepped forward a pace, accidentally stepping on a lone twig on the ground.

It cracked, and the bird's eyes widened as it froze.

It all happened in a heartbeat.

The warbler spread its wings and proceeded to fly away. At that moment, Stormheart leaped, his powerful hind legs lifting him off the ground as he swiped the air with an extended paw, his sharp claws unsheathed. The bird didn't have time to escape. Stormheart caught the warbler in a large grey paw and whammed it down to the ground, killing it.

Whitepaw flattened her ears. "I'm sorry."

Stormheart turned around, facing her, urging her to continue.

"You know, for stepping on that twig and scaring the bird away," she said. "If I didn't move, it wouldn't have happened."

"Don't worry about it." Stormheart smiled. "Not every cat's perfect. Besides, it was your first time. And I still caught it, didn't I?"

"Barely," Whitepaw muttered. "You almost lost it."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Stormheart said. "With some more practice, you'll be a great hunter. I know you will."

Whitepaw sighed, then looked up again and smiled. "You're right. I'll keep trying my best."

At that second, a small brown-and-white bird flew toward them, zipping by. Whitepaw, by instinct, chased after, slowly gaining more speed until she finally caught up and leaped. She remembered how Stormheart had caught the warbler, and she tried to mimic him. She swiped a paw in the air. The bird got away. But Whitepaw wasn't going to give up so easily. She bolted after it, until finally, she jumped, grasped the bird in her jaws, and landed down.

Stormheart, along with Ashpaw and Foxdash, trotted over to join her.

"Whitepaw!" Stormheart called, his voice muffled because of the warbler he caught earlier, which was now in his jaws. "Great job!"

Whitepaw panted and dropped the dead sparrow down before her front paws.

"Please, I wasn't that good," Whitepaw said, waving his comment off.

"Of course you were!" Ashpaw exclaimed. "I was actually planning on catching that sparrow, but it flew away in your direction." He sighed. "Ah, better luck next time," he said to himself.

Whitepaw smiled.

After some time, they caught many pieces of prey. The sky was beginning to darken and a soft orange glow began to fill the heavens. The four joined up with Goldpaw and Echowing, each with some prey as well, and they headed back to the WindClan camp.

The three apprentices talked with each other, while the warriors were ahead in conversation too.

"Wow, this is a ton of prey!" Goldpaw exclaimed happily, his voice not coming out as clear as it could due to the prey he held in his jaws. "Awesome! We certainly won't go hungry like this."

Whitepaw nodded in agreement, afraid to open her mouth since the prey she caught might drop out.

"You did great today, Whitepaw," Ashpaw said.

She laughed lightly. "I'm not really sure about that, but… thanks." She turned to her brother. "You too, Goldpaw."

"Finally, I get some credit around here!" he exclaimed in a joking manner.

"You're a fantastic hunter, Goldpaw," Ashpaw mewed. He sighed. "I wish I had skills like you guys. And Whitepaw, you've only been here for a little more than a half-moon."  
They talked and laughed (and dropped the prey that was in their jaws a few times) while padding back to WindClan's main camp.

At the camp, the other cats gathered around as the six of them arrived.

"Wow! That's a lot of food!"

"That looks delicious!"

"Great job, guys!"

They were showered with compliments as they dropped the prey into the hole for fresh-kill. The elders, warriors and apprentices all feasted on the food, some of them sharing with one another.

Whitepaw knew she definitely wasn't a great hunter yet, despite what everyone told her. But seeing this scene made all the hard work worth it. She couldn't help but break into a smile.

"Hey, Whitepaw," Bluepaw said. "Great job."

"Thanks," the silver-and-white tabby she-cat mewed.

"Want to share some fresh-kill?" he asked.

"Sure!"

The sky was blazing orange with hints of pink and violet. The valley was showered with warm light, and the peaks of some of the higher hills and few mountains surrounding the valley were bathed in the glow.

From a high peak, a silhouetted cat sat, eyes narrowed and gazing down on the cats below. His fur was pitch-black. However, only one cat seemed to notice he was there.

Echostar's ears pricked up all of sudden. She spun around and stared up at the black cat with her sky-blue orbs. She gasped and her eyes widened, her voice coming out as only a low whisper.

"You…"

* * *

**So who's the mysterious black cat? And do you think he and Echostar know each other? Guess, or wait and see! :)**

**I know that this update has been slower than the others. But I did say the updating schedule would be unbalanced. And if I didn't say, then… the updating schedule will be unbalanced. xD**

**And do I even need to say? Review please! :D **

**'Til next time, guys!**


	8. Chapter 7: Confrontation

**Chapter 7: Confrontation**

The clan noticed a change in Echostar's behavior over the next few sunrises. It was quite visible, even though she tried hard to hide it, trying to maintain her leader figure.

Unsurprisingly, the observant Bluepaw was one of the first to notice, despite not being overly close with the leader yet. However, he didn't think much of it until today.

_Maybe she dreamt a bad dream or such, _the apprentice considered. _Nothing serious._

But in the back of his mind, he always knew he was lying to himself by thinking that.

It was nighttime right now. Some cats stayed awake, keeping watch and guarding the dens. Most, however, were fast asleep. Bluepaw wasn't able to sleep a wink, though.

He sat on a large boulder, some distance away from the clan's camp, his dark blue eyes pierced through the darkness, shining under the faint moonlight. The stars dotted the heavens above, twinkling a greeting as midnight neared.

All of a sudden, the sound of rustling leaves made his ears prick up.

"Who's there?" Bluepaw called out, scanning his surroundings.

_The clan cats are all asleep except for the guards, _he thought. _And even the guards shouldn't be here, away from WindClan's camp._

Two widened dark emerald eyes shone through some bushes.

Bluepaw immediately spun around to face the silhouetted cat who was padding out of the leaves, but instantly relaxed after realizing who it was, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Whitepaw," he mewed. "It's just you."

"Bluepaw?" Whitepaw said. "Why are you here?"

Bluepaw stared at her. "Why are _you _here? It's late at night. And if you're wondering, I have my reasons."

"Well, then," Whitepaw muttered, flicking her ringed tail. "I have my reasons too."

A moment of silence ensued, and for the first time, Whitepaw felt a bit awkward as she stood with her brother.

"So…" Whitepaw murmured, trying to say something, but the words not quite coming out of her mouth.

"What is it?" Bluepaw pressed on.

"It's about Echostar," Whitepaw admitted. Bluepaw's ears perked up and his blue eyes widened a bit.

"Echostar?" he asked, urging the silver-and-white she-cat to go on.

"Yes," Whitepaw answered. "She's been acting different lately. Quite different."

Bluepaw didn't say anything for a few seconds as he gazed at the ground in thought. The starlight made the outline of his figure a dim silver. Then he nodded slightly and looked up to meet his sister's gaze.

"You've noticed too?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied. "It's pretty obvious now. I'm sure most of the clan has already caught on."

"You can tell she's trying to conceal her trouble or worry," Bluepaw said. "But it's still not working."

"Yeah," Whitepaw agreed. "I guess her acting skills still aren't the best, huh?" She tried to give a slight laugh to lighten up the darkening mood, but it didn't come out right. It was clearly worrying both of them as well.

"Do you think it could be serious?" Whitepaw asked, concern in her tone.

"I'm not sure what exactly it is that's on her mind," Bluepaw said. "But there's no better way than to ask Echostar herself."

"Ask Echostar?" Whitepaw mumbled. "I'm not sure if we're allowed to ask the leader about her personal problems."

"It might not be so personal after all," Bluepaw guessed. "Maybe it'll affect all of us. We never know."

Whitepaw nodded slowly, seeing some sense in that. She sighed in defeat at last.

"Alright, we'll ask her before sunhigh tomorrow," Whitepaw affirmed. "Let's just pray to StarClan that she's in a good mood then."

* * *

Hoping for sunlight streaming into the apprentice's den the next morning, Whitepaw woke up early and yawned, peeking outside. Much to her dismay, the sky was dark and grey, with a soft drizzle falling down from the clouds.

"Great," Whitepaw muttered under her breath. "This weather's not helping."

She glanced around the apprentice's den, and thankfully, the others haven't woken up yet. Apprentices usually woke up later than the warriors, who had many more duties and jobs.

Goldpaw slept in a corner, the grey-and-black tomcat Ashpaw by his side. Bluepaw was on his side, his flank rising and falling ever so slightly, asleep near the entrance of the den. The other apprentice, a beige she-cat with darker patches named Cloverpaw, was also sleeping, lying beside Whitepaw. Whitepaw moved carefully, trying not to disturb her friend or awaken her.

Cloverpaw's ear twitched. Whitepaw held her breath, but the other young she-cat just resumed sleeping, and Whitepaw sighed in relief.

She padded over to Bluepaw, her paw pads making each step as silent as can be.

"Bluepaw," Whitepaw whispered into his ear. "Wake up."

Bluepaw flicked an ear and opened his eyes. He stared up at the tabby she-cat, his dark grey-blue pelt still ruffled from sleep.

"What is it?" he muttered, slightly irritated. "I was sleeping. What are you doing up this early?"

"Don't you remember?" Whitepaw exclaimed, then realized she was too loud, so she dropped her voice to a low whisper. "We're going to ask Echostar today."

Bluepaw just stared at her for a moment before breaking into laughter. Whitepaw just looked at him, a dumb and confused expression on her face.

"What?" she asked, genuinely baffled.

Bluepaw stood up, groomed himself with his tongue with a couple of licks, and lead Whitepaw outside the den as they slipped away silently.

"You're treating this like it's some kind of undercover spying mission or something," Bluepaw told her, chuckling. "We're just going to talk to her. It's not like that's forbidden."

"Yeah, but what if she's in a bad mood?" Whitepaw blurted out, frantic now. "What if she hates us? What if she hates talking? What if—"

"You worry too much," Bluepaw interrupted, smiling playfully. "Come on. She should definitely be awake by now."

They walked to the leader's den, Whitepaw trailing a few paces behind her brother.

As they arrived, Bluepaw called inside, "Echostar? May we speak with you?"

A sleek silver she-cat padded out, her fluffy tail sweeping back and forth, her sky-blue orbs focused on the two apprentices.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, and then smiled. "And you don't have to address so formally, you know. A simple "hey, Echo, let's talk" would work!" She giggled.

Whitepaw stared at her while Bluepaw cleared his throat.

_I guess just because she's the leader doesn't mean she has to act serious all the time, _Whitepaw thought, smiling. _But is she just acting like that to hide her worry? Does she know we've noticed?_

After seeing the expression on Whitepaw's face, Echostar chuckled. "Sorry. Ahem, now, what did you want to ask me?"

"At least she's not angry," Whitepaw whispered to Bluepaw with a lopsided smile.

Bluepaw was just about to speak when Echostar looked up at the clouds. The drizzle became rain.

"Oh, it's raining," she observed. "Come inside. You don't have to stand out there and get wet."

They followed her into her den. It was very roomy for just one cat. Whitepaw explored around while Bluepaw flicked his tail at her, reminding her of what they were here for. Whitepaw padded over to stand beside him.

"Anyway, Echostar," Bluepaw began. "We noticed that you've been acting… different these past few sunrises." It's clear he was choosing his words carefully. "Is something on your mind?"

The older silver she-cat remained silent for a few moments, then broke into a smile. "That's what you wanted to talk to me about? Oh, it's not that big a deal, don't worry. And I thought it was something extremely important. Again, don't worry about me."

"Are you sure it's not a big deal?" Whitepaw asked.

"It's just an… old friend, I guess," Echostar mewed, casting her blue eyes down at her paws.

"Old friend?" Whitepaw's ears pricked up.

"Whoops. I've already said too much." Echostar slapped her tail over her mouth, then removed it a few seconds later, seeing the curious looks on the two apprentices' faces.

_Of course I trust you, _Echostar thought. _But maybe it's me who doesn't want to bring back my past._

She sighed, giving in.

"Alright," she mewed at last. "I'll tell you."

* * *

**Yeah, it's only like… a few hours (?) or something like that since I updated for chapter 6. XD But I already had chapter 7 written out when I posted chapter 6, and since this chapter doesn't exactly tell who the black cat is yet, I decided to post it lol. xD **

**Chapter 8 will probably be a few days from now. But if I get enough reviews *hint hint* and if I'm in a good mood, I might update tomorrow. :D**

**Byeee!**

**(Oh, and in case you're wondering, Echostar's personality really is like that. She's still pretty young for a leader, you have to remember. And she can change moods real quickly too ^_^)**


	9. Chapter 8: Echopool's Story

**Chapter 8: Echopool's Story**

Whitepaw and Bluepaw were huddled around Echostar in the leader's den, ears perked up and listening intently.

"I just thought I saw someone I knew," Echostar murmured, "a few sunrises ago."

"Someone you knew?" Whitepaw asked, confused.

"Yes, from when I was just a kit," Echostar confirmed. She then started to mumble to herself, "But that isn't possible… How can it be? I thought he already—"

"May we ask who it is?" Bluepaw asked hesitantly.

Echostar thought for a moment, then said, "Sure. I think it was just an illusion or dream or something. It couldn't have been real."

She stared at the entrance of the den, right through Bluepaw and Whitepaw, yet her blue eyes looked lost and mind was somewhere else.

"When I was a kit," Echostar began, remembering the past, "I was a loner, just like you two and Goldpaw were a moon ago. I didn't have a family, and I didn't have anyone to depend on." She had a light, carefree yet distant look in her eyes. "I wandered to WindClan, and the WindClan cats took me in and trained me. I soon became a warrior, and earned my warrior name, which was Echopool, and a cat named Nightheart had mentored me. I knew he was also a WindClan cat, yet that was about all I knew about him. That was about all _anyone _knew about him. But he was kind at that time, and skillful and wise, though also secretive. The only other thing I knew was that he had a brother named Soulfire who was the deputy of ThunderClan then."

Her sky-blue orbs darkened and she gazed down at her paws. Bluepaw and Whitepaw stared at her, urging her to continue.

"I was chosen as deputy later, and he chose to leave WindClan," she told them. "I was heartbroken, since he was the best friend I had, and I couldn't figure out why he'd suddenly leave. I still don't know, and I don't think I'll ever get the chance to ask now." She sighed. "A while later, we heard ThunderClan's deputy left too. I tried to move on, but I couldn't get over why, and I had a bad feeling about it even then." She paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Then leaf-bare arrived. Our old leader lost his last life in a battle with ThunderClan, and I became leader. The same sunrise I was chosen as WindClan's leader, I heard Nightheart had died. His brother had also been killed somehow a few sunrises after. I wasn't sure how exactly, but I knew it had something to do with the Dark Forest."

"The Dark Forest?" Whitepaw said. "I've heard of the Dark Forest before!"

"Isn't the Dark Forest a place of dead cats?" Bluepaw asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Echostar replied. "A place of dead, evil cats. The good ones will go to StarClan after they die. And a few sunrises ago at dusk, I thought I saw Nightheart again, on one of the peaks in the valley."

Whitepaw and Bluepaw fell silent in thought.

"There's another part I haven't mentioned yet," Echostar suddenly piped up. "Nightheart's brother used to have a mate outside of the four clans. I think she was a loner. Her name was Lyra." She then gave a crooked smile. "That probably doesn't tell you much, but I wanted to mention it, just in case."

_Lyra… _Bluepaw thought, replaying the name in his head. _I know that name. I know I've heard it before. But who did it belong to again?_

"That's it," Echostar said. "Just thought I saw him again, but I know that isn't possible now. Maybe it was just a hallucination, or a loner or rogue. No big deal. We'll just patrol the borders extra carefully."

"Well, thank you for telling us!" Whitepaw mewed.

"It's no problem," Echostar said. "Besides, it's probably not any help to you, anyway. I hope that answers your original question." She turned to walk out. "I need to organize the hunting patrols and border patrols. Blazershade's been taking over all this time."

Before she left, she turned back to Bluepaw. "And Bluepaw, your mentor Rainfeather wants you to do some training with him."

"Alright, I'll go meet him," Bluepaw called. He padded out, leaving Whitepaw alone. "Bye, Whitepaw."

"Bye," Whitepaw murmured.

Outside, Echostar sighed and looked down.

"I only told you half of the story, though," she mumbled to herself, talking about what she said to Bluepaw and Whitepaw. "But I don't think I want to remember the other half."

Whitepaw sprinted out, looking around WindClan's camp, trying to find something to do. She spotted her friend Cloverpaw by the fresh-kill pile.

"Hey, Cloverpaw!" Whitepaw called, trotting up to sit beside the young patched she-cat.

"Hi, Whitepaw," Cloverpaw greeted, smiling.

"Can I share some fresh-kill with you?" Whitepaw asked.

"Sure," Cloverpaw replied quickly. She picked out a plump wren from the pile of prey, and began munching on it with Whitepaw.

"You don't have any work from Feathersway?" Whitepaw asked Cloverpaw. She knew Cloverpaw was Feathersway's—the WindClan medicine cat—apprentice, in training to be a medicine cat as well.

"Nope, she told me I could have this day off," Cloverpaw mewed, sighing contentedly. "Medicine cat training isn't too hard, though."

"Yes, it is!" Whitepaw exclaimed. "You have to memorize so many things! But you'll be a great medicine cat, Cloverpaw, I just know it."

"Thanks." Cloverpaw smiled.

After they finished the wren, Whitepaw suggested, "Want to go on a walk with me?"

"Alright," Cloverpaw agreed. "I finally get a chance to go somewhere, anyway. Usually I'm just stuck in the medicine cat's den, sorting herbs."

Getting the approval of their mentors, they left the camp and went on a stroll across the valley, since the rain from earlier had stopped and the grass and leaves were lush and green in the sun, covered with dew.

Whitepaw tried to relish the beautiful scenery, but two unknown flame-colored eyes kept appearing in her mind, yet she couldn't shake them off, so she put on a fake mask of interest in what Cloverpaw was saying and walked in silence.

Bluepaw couldn't concentrate in training. He heard Rainfeather scolding him for his unusual lack of concentration, and he did try to listen, but his thoughts drowned his mentor's voice out.

_Lyra…_

Sudden he realized who that name belonged to, and it hit him with a jolt like a streak of lightning through his body. His eyes widened and the clearing sky felt like it all crashed down right then and there.

"Mother!"

* * *

**Ok… This chapter didn't really explain who the black cat is yet either, and it's kinda shorter than the previous ones. Oh well. We know his name and a few other things but his past and all that chiz is still unknown. :/ Well, you'll have to wait! ^ ^ And I'll definitely talk more about Echostar's past and her relation to "Nightheart" and the "other half of the story" that Echostar was talking 'bout.  
**

**By the way, if you're wondering why Bluepaw didn't even remember his mother's own name at first, it's because they just call her "Mother" rather than by her actual name, which is what most people do (and should do) too. And it has been a like half a year or so. And so he can't remember his mother's name that well.**

**Please review! :D**

**Laterade!**


	10. Chapter 9: Awake in a Nightmare

**Is this, like, 3 chapters in one day? XD Ha, well, I was pretty bored and had nothing to do. :P This chapter is somewhat shorter than the others, though. Enjoy and review? :)**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Awake in a Nightmare**

Bluepaw bolted through the tall grass and leaped over the boulders and rocks jutting out of the ground, swiftly maneuvering past logs and trees.

_Whitepaw, where are you? _he thought as he ran. _We need to talk. Now._

He finally spotted the silver-and-white tabby he was searching for as he reached a stream. Another one of the WindClan cats, the medicine cat's apprentice, was walking alongside her.

"Whitepaw!" he called as he neared them. "Whitepaw!"

Whitepaw spun around at the sound of her name. Cloverpaw's ears perked up as well. They turned to see a panting Bluepaw walking toward them.

"Bluepaw?" Cloverpaw mewed.

"What are you doing here?" Whitepaw asked.

"Whitepaw, we need to talk," Bluepaw declared. He saw Whitepaw staring curiously at him, beckoning him to continue. Cloverpaw had the same expression as she stood at Whitepaw's side.

"I meant alone," Bluepaw said, hinting to Cloverpaw.

"Oh!" Cloverpaw understood. "Then I'll, uh, go back to the camp. I'll see if Feathersway has any work for me." With that, she took one last quick glance at the two littermates and bounded off.

"What was that for?" Whitepaw flattened her ears. "You couldn't have said it in front of her?"

"No, this is private," Bluepaw said.

Whitepaw sighed in defeat. "Alright, what is it?"

Bluepaw took a deep breath. "You know what Echostar said earlier? About that cat she used to know—Nightheart."

"Yeah…" Whitepaw said slowly, not sure where this was going.

"She said his brother—the deputy of ThunderClan at the time—had a mate outside of the four clans, remember?"

"Yes," Whitepaw replied. "Echostar said her name was—"

"Lyra."

Whitepaw fell silent as Bluepaw interrupted her.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with—" Whitepaw began.

"Anything?" Bluepaw finished. "It has to do with _everything_, Whitepaw."

"Will you stop interrupting me?" Whitepaw exclaimed, slightly irritated.

Bluepaw ignored her comment. "Lyra. Doesn't that name sound familiar to you?"

Whitepaw thought for a while. "Maybe. I think I've heard of it somewhere before, but I can't quite place my paw on it…"

"Lyra… was… our…" Bluepaw said, purposely making each word come out slow. Whitepaw's eyes suddenly widened until the white rim was visible, and Bluepaw knew she remembered.

"Mother…" Whitepaw whispered.

Bluepaw gave a faint half-hearted smile. "I thought you had forgotten."

"So that cat, Nightheart's brother, he was our mother's mate?" Whitepaw exclaimed. "He was our real father?"

"Apparently so," Bluepaw murmured. "But we still know very little about him. And he's dead now, anyway."

Whitepaw looked down at the ground. The gentle spring breeze ruffled her fur, and the atmosphere started to get colder.

"Let's go back to the camp," Whitepaw suggested. "It's getting quite cold here."

Bluepaw nodded in agreement.

The sky started to dim as they padded back to WindClan's camp, the two littermates flanking each other as they made their way back. Both had different thoughts swimming through their minds, but both were about the same topic.

_Soulfire… You're our father?_

* * *

Whitepaw flattened her ears against her head that night, her thoughts all crashing and colliding, until everything shattered and nothing made sense. Dream, hallucination, and reality… She didn't know which was which anymore. Her eyes were shut tightly as she pawed the air frantically in a dream, occasionally muttering and whimpering in her sleep.

She opened her eyes.

But the world was different. She wasn't in the apprentice's den anymore. She didn't know where she was.

Emotions inside of her bubbled up. Unknown emotions, and some without a reason. She suddenly felt anger, betrayal, and hatred, and she didn't know why. But above all, there was fear. Pure fright at what she was standing before.

_Is this the—_

A shrill, blood-curdling yowl pierced the air. Whitepaw's green eyes widened in a flash and she could feel the fur on the back of her neck standing up, her claws digging into the cold, dead earth, and she was utterly frozen.

The scene was frightening to Whitepaw.

Everywhere, dark, tall, and dead trees loomed, seeming to form an endless maze. The surroundings were almost pitch-black except for a faint, eerie light, but apparently with no source. The moon and stars had vanished, not that the sky was even clear with all the jagged, bare branches concealing it. Fog swirled through the trees. There was a faint metallic scent drifting through the air as well, and Whitepaw immediately knew what it was.

_Blood._

She tried to back away, but the darkness was endless. A sharp rock which was jutting out of the ground tripped her as she stepped back a few paces. She let out a small shriek as she tumbled to the ground, but quickly picked herself back up.

She wanted to leave silently. But narrowed eyes were watching her from all sides. Eyes like wolves' and vicious dogs' and foxes'. They definitely didn't look like a normal cat's eye.

She could feel a chill down her spine from time to time, yet there was no breeze. The air was cold and unsettling, but not in the usual way.

_Where am I? _Whitepaw whimpered. _I want to leave. Please… StarClan, save me._

A pitch-black shadow moved through the trees, and Whitepaw scanned her surroundings. She could feel something. Something, or someone, was definitely there. But where, exactly?

"W-who's there?" Whitepaw stuttered, though trying hard not to and failing. "Y-you'd better come out, or… or else!"

She felt an unnatural breeze suddenly pass through her body, and a cat's tail-tip caress her cheek, but she looked and no one was there.

"I-I'm serious!" Whitepaw growled, fur fluffing up instinctively, trying to act tough. "Show yourself!"

The shadow had just been underneath her a split second ago, but all of a sudden, it seemed to rise out of the ground.

Whitepaw gasped, not even realizing she had been holding her breath all this time.

A figure stood in front of her. A cat's figure. The eerie glow of the mysterious place made his outline a dim silver, though his coat was jet-black, melting in with the swirling mist and dark trees and blackness all around, almost invisible. And if Whitepaw had looked more carefully, she'd realize the trees directly behind him were almost visible.

"Whitepaw…"

Two hard amber eyes met her gaze and stared straight through her soul.

"Welcome to the Place of No Stars."

* * *

**This is officially the Place of No Stars! :D Alright, so who do you think is the black ****kitty? … I think it's pretty obvious xD But do predict stuff! I love guesses! And guessing! Even though I'm usually wrong! :D But do you think he's a Dark Forest cat (by the way, the Place of No Stars and the Dark Forest is the same. The Dark Forest is an informal nickname), or is he a spy, or just wandered into the Dark Forest, or what ever you can think of! I love reading reviews, so PLEASE do review if you like it, or have anything to say to me, or if you wanna say you hate the story, that's fine too! XD (But with a reason definitely!)**

**Review pwease, and expect the next chapter, The Place of No Stars, sometime soon. :)**

**And I should really be doing homework right now. Gotta prepare for this big presentation, like, tomorrow (?) and I've barely started. XD *sigh***


	11. Chapter 10: The Place of No Stars

**Whew! Tenth chapter already! :) Whoo, double digits! :D Well, enjoy this chap and please leave a review!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Place of No Stars**

_The Place of No Stars?_ Whitepaw thought frantically. _Does that mean I'm… I'm…_

A faint, crooked smile formed at the edge of the amber-eyed black cat's lips.

"No," he spoke, his voice deep. "You are not dead, if that's what you're thinking."

Whitepaw was about to sigh of relief before her emerald eyes widened again.

_How does he know what I'm thinking?_

The black cat turned away from her, his footsteps silent and his paws not even seeming to touch the dead ground below.

"You could say it was a lucky guess," he answered simply, leaving Whitepaw dumbfounded once again.

"Wait, don't go!" she called. The tom halted, but didn't turn around.

"Can you at least tell me why I'm here?" Whitepaw asked, desperately trying to know the answer.

She thought carefully._ If I'm not dead, then I must be…_

"Dreaming," the tom finished her silent sentence yet again. Whitepaw stared at him, bewildered.

"H-how do you know…" she said, trailing off. "Can you read my mind?"

"No, I don't have any mind-reading powers, if that's what you mean," he answered. "You could say I'm quite observant and good at knowing what others are thinking by their expressions and movements, though. It's not considered a power, but more a skill or ability you can be trained to have over time."

He started padding away, and his figure started to fade. Whitepaw hesitated for a second, but eventually ran up to walk beside him.

"So this, all of this," Whitepaw said, gesturing around her at the dark trees and heavy atmosphere, which still sent chills racing down her spine. "This isn't real?"

"It is as real as reality can be," the black tom replied.

"But," Whitepaw murmured, "I thought you said that this was a dream? That I'm only dreaming?"

"You are in your sleep, yes, since you are not a Dark Forest cat," he said. "But it simply being a dream does not make it any less real."

Whitepaw fell silent, deep in thought.

Suddenly, a raven clawed in the distance, it's hoarse call echoing through the bare, dead trees, seemingly bouncing off the surface of the wood.

The tom's ears perked up, then flattened against his head, and he growled.

"I have to go," he hissed. He turned to a trembling Whitepaw. "Listen, if you have control over your dreams, get out of here as fast as possible. If you don't, I suggest you hide and pray they don't find you. The ones that leave scars aren't always real claws, you know." With that, he bolted off into the trees, his outline slowly disappearing until he completely melted in with the darkness and eerie mist.

Whitepaw stood alone.

_Who is"they"? _she wondered. _And what does he mean by "the ones that leave scars aren't always real claws"?_

A loud growl and piercing yowl rang through the dead forest, and a blood-curdling, shrill shriek ensued. Then, everything fell silent.

Whitepaw couldn't hear anything except for the fast, hard drumming of her heart against her chest that seemed to control her now. Her ears seemed to be going deaf and her vision started to go blurry.

_I have to escape._ She knew she did. _But how?_

This place seemed endless. And here she was, dreaming of a place that was real, standing in a real scene, trying to escape from a dream.

_How? StarClan, please… I'm so confused…_

One part of her told her to run. Run like there's no tomorrow, and run as fast and far as she could. Run away from this awful place. But another part held curiosity. Great curiosity, that eventually won over and lead her toward the spot where the cat's yowl and shriek from earlier was located.

_I know this is wrong. I know I shouldn't do this, _Whitepaw repeated over and over in her head, many times wanting to turn, flee, and never return. But somehow, she just couldn't.

Soon, she arrived at a gigantic boulder on a small dirt hill, and ahead was a clearing with no trees. She crawled up to the boulder and hid behind it, tucking her tail and ears in so she wouldn't be spotted. After a few moments, she slowly and carefully moved her head to peek at the scene before her, and what she saw literally took her breath away.

Many cats crowded around, and she strained to see. But in the center, a smaller, pale grey tomcat laid on the ground on his side, his flank not moving, many large, deep wounds and cuts everywhere on his body. An eye was missing and all that was left was an empty eye socket, with blood streaming steadily from the wounds and pooling onto the cold, hard ground. His fur was also matted with blood and dirt. Looming before him was a large dark ginger tom, with many scratches on his pelt, and an ear missing, but he still held a victorious and blood-thirsty look in his piercing bright green eyes. He bared his fangs and unsheathed his claws, and Whitepaw noticed they were also stained with blood. Blood from the dead cat, perhaps.

"Oh my…" Whitepaw breathed out, her voice and whole body shaking. She thought she would pass out any moment now. She wanted to turn her gaze away desperately, but for some reason, she also couldn't. Her body wouldn't listen to logic and logic wouldn't listen to want. "This place is simply horrendous. If this really is the Dark Forest, then I am truly standing in hell."

She sheathed her claws and wanted to walk away silently and never look back ever, but as she stepped back a few paces, a loud, booming voice stopped her immediately and her blood ran cold.

"I sense someone else is here."

Whitepaw's eyes widened.

"An unfamiliar scent, it seems," the large dark ginger tomcat continued, his lips forming a terrifying grin, seemingly with more meaning behind it than just what's seen.

Whitepaw's heart seemed to race at top speed, yet it seemed to completely stop functioning at the same time.

"Come out to play," he said—the unnatural grin still present on his face—in a slithering cold voice. "I know you're hiding behind that boulder."

Whitepaw's breath caught in her throat, which was as dry as a stream in a summer desert. Without thinking, she fled as fast as she could, her paws flying and barely touching the ground below.

"GET HER!" a booming, deep and loud voice yowled out.

Cats from all sides leaped and sprang out of the trees, their sharp claws unsheathed and gleaming in the strange light, their long fangs stained with dried blood. Whitepaw had gotten a headstart, but the cats were gaining on her quickly. She dodged swiftly through the trees, wanting to shut her eyes but she couldn't, as she heard yowling and screaming just a few rabbit-lengths behind her.

_Run, Whitepaw, run. Run and do not look back,_ she told herself.

She felt a sharp claw scratch her hind leg, and it stung, but she didn't take time to examine the wound and she kept running, the Dark Forest warriors starting to trail behind.

She thought she had lost them, and so her pace started to slow down. Her throat felt as dry as sandpaper, and her breaths were ragged now. Oxygen seemed to barely exist anymore.

_Have I lost them permanently?_

Suddenly, an unanticipated attack launched. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw a large dark finger shape fling itself at her. It all happened in a thousandth of a heartbeat, and she shut her eyes, tears starting to fly into the night after her, and the world seemed to go black.

But before she crashed into the earth and fangs would tear her throat apart, which was what she was anticipating, she suddenly felt lighter. Much lighter. Like she was actually being lifted into a clear blue sky away from any harm, and she would fly off. When she dared open her eyes again, she saw that she wasn't in fact flying, but she wasn't dead either. She felt teeth pulling her by the scruff of her neck. Tightly, and it started to hurt a bit after a little while, but she was still alive, and that's all that mattered right then and there.

She looked up. Two amber eyes flashed in the dark, and a flurry of black streaked through the trees, carrying her.

"You!" Whitepaw exclaimed, though not sure to feel overjoyed or completely frightened.

The black cat growled, his breath turning into a cloud as warmth hit the cold air. "You can thank me later."

"R-right." Whitepaw tried to smile as best as she could in this situation. "Thank you."

When the yowls and hisses were far behind them, and they couldn't see the glinting of claws and fangs against the eerie source of light anymore, the black tom slowed down to a trot and eventually came to a stop, hiding behind some thick trees. He dropped Whitepaw down, and she tumbled to the ground.

"Do you see that cave there?" he asked Whitepaw as she started to brush herself off and regain her senses. He was staring intently into her eyes, his voice stern and hard. He gestured to a narrow opening to a cave just lake up ahead with his tail. Whitepaw nodded quickly. "Inside the cave, there is a small silver lake, the Lake of Mirrors. I want you to dive in, and don't look back."

Whitepaw's eyes widened. "But… But I can't swim."

"Do you trust me?" the tom growled.

"I-I guess," Whitepaw stuttered, no confidence in her voice at all. She took a deep breath and tried again, this time, her voice coming out much more firm and believable. "Yes."

"Then do as I say," he hissed. With one last glance, he started to walk away, his last sentence echoing through the thick fog, "Remember, Whitepaw, I am not against you."

Before Whitepaw turned and left, she had called into the darkness and swirling mist, "Wait! Who are you?" And there was an answer, but it was very faint, and the silver-and-white she-cat couldn't quite pick it up. She turned away and bolted for the cave entrance, somewhat hidden by moss and large rocks.

Inside, dew sparkled on the cave walls, and the walls seemed to shine multicolor as her perspective changed, the mysterious light reflected off of them. She padded in further, her pace slowing down. The cave was actually quite big from the inside.

_This looks so much different than the outside world,_ Whitepaw observed. _This cave is actually peaceful… Beautiful…_

Like the black tom said, there was indeed a small silver lake further into the cave. The lake glowed and shimmered, yet with no apparent strong light source. Whitepaw didn't take much time to wonder about logic, though. But one weird thing she did notice was that the lake's surface reflected the wrong things.

She stepped forward until her toes were on the edge of the shining water, and she peered in. And strangely, she didn't see her reflection in the water. Instead, she saw trees. Tall trees, but alive with lush green leaves. She saw the night, but the stars and moon were held high in the sky. It seemed familiar yet foreign at the same time.

She took one last look at the outside, and stared into the depths of the lake. The Lake of Mirrors.

She leaped in.

And then she woke up.

Sunlight was streaming through the entrance of a den. Whitepaw blinked a few times groggily and looked around. It was the apprentice's den back at the WindClan camp. And she was alone.

She suddenly sat up straight, alert, as two familiar figures walked into the den. Whitepaw sighed in relief.

"Hey, Whitepaw!" Ashpaw called. "You're awake."

"Yeah, you've already missed your border patrol," snickered Goldpaw in a playful way. "We tried waking you up but you wouldn't budge! And you kept murmuring something about dead cats and forests and being alive while you were sleeping."

"I talk in my sleep?" Whitepaw asked, eyes wide. _The Place of No Stars… He doesn't know, right?_

"Yeah," Ashpaw said. "You were pawing at the air too. Probably a bad dream, huh?"

"Yeah," Whitepaw murmured. "Just a bad dream…"

Goldpaw flicked his tail and lead Ashpaw away, beckoning for his sister to follow.

"Come on, Whitepaw!" he said. "If you miss another job, Stormheart's going to be real mad at you."

"I'm coming!" Whitepaw called back, trailing behind them a few tail-lengths as she padded out too.

As she walked, she suddenly felt a jolt of pain streaking through her body, coming from her hind leg. She turned to examine what was wrong, and noticed a long claw scratch there. Her eyes widened in realization, the memory slowly coming back. As she took another step, the pain streaked through her bones again, and an image suddenly seemed to flash before her eyes.

She saw the Place of No Stars again and a dark-colored figure was padding away from her, into the black and grey trees. She called for his name, and his answer was faint. She couldn't quite hear it back then, but now it was as clear as the song of a lark in a silent meadow.

"My name was formerly Nightheart," the ghostly whisper came.

Whitepaw's breath caught and she froze in her tracks.

"Now, I am known as Eclipse."


	12. Chapter 11: Thunder At the Border

**Chapter 11: Thunder At the Border**

Goldpaw walked along the edge of the stream, his well-groomed golden tabby pelt glistening in the sun from the drizzle earlier. Dew stuck on his fur and reflected the light. The air felt cool and refreshing, and the occasional bird landing on a tree would send showers of water down on his fur.

"Hey!" Goldpaw hissed up at the perching bird. "Cut it out!"

The bird squawked at him, as if saying "too bad", and then flapped its wings and lifted off, riding the spring breeze.

Goldpaw growled and sprang up on his hind legs, clawing the air and chasing after the bird in anger. His paw was just about to reach the bird, but he bumped into something, or someone, and tripped, tumbling to the ground.

"Watch it, you—" Goldpaw began, lashing his tail angrily at whoever was in the way, but as he dusted himself off and took a closer look, he saw a young black and grey tomcat standing in front of him.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't see you there, I just—" the black and grey cat blurted out.

"Ashpaw?" Goldpaw asked. "Why are you here?"

"I just wanted a walk, I guess," Ashpaw said simply, shrugging slightly. "And I'm sorry for bumping into you. You would've caught that bird if it wasn't for me."

"It's no problem," Goldpaw mumbled, but inside, of course he did want an extra piece of fresh-kill. "Anyway, have you seen Bluepaw or Whitepaw?"

Ashpaw swept his ringed tail back and forth. "Hmm… I saw Bluepaw back at camp a while ago. He was tending to the elders with Cloverpaw. I think Whitepaw went on a border patrol somewhere near here."

Goldpaw nodded, indicating he understood. He gazed across the trees and rocks and streams. The border separating them and ThunderClan was very near. The hills and streams shifted to tall trees. ThunderClan's territory.

"Listen, I also wanted to talk to you about something," Ashpaw began hesitantly. "I—"

Goldpaw flicked an ear. "How can those ThunderClan cats live in those dense forests? Shouldn't it be suffocating in there?" he interrupted Ashpaw, staring at ThunderClan's territory.

"I don't know," Ashpaw answered with a sigh. "Maybe it's not as bad as we think."

"I'm not sure about that," Goldpaw said. "But I still like our wide-open spaces much better."

Ashpaw smiled. "Yeah." He took a deep breath and tried again. "And Goldpaw, I wanted to talk to you about—"

"WindClan's much better!" Goldpaw yelped as he trotted away, heading closer and closer to the border. "You hear that? WindClan rules, you ThunderClan sucker cats!"

Ashpaw sighed again. He sprinted over and stood beside Goldpaw, a worried expression on his face.

"Goldpaw, I'm not sure if you should do that," he warned. "There could be ThunderClan cats near and they could hear us. We could get in trouble too."

"Don't worry, Ashpaw!" Goldpaw said, puffing out his chest, wearing a proud expression. "If those little kittens even dare threaten us, I'll beat them up to pieces!"

Ashpaw sighed, glancing around nervously. "Still, I'm not sure if you can just yell across the—"

"Goldpaw? Ashpaw? Is that you?" they heard a familiar voice call.

They both spun around to see a small patrol of WindClan cats, and in the lead was a sleek silver-and-white tabby.

"Whitepaw!" Ashpaw called back, smiling.

"Hey, guys!" Goldpaw and Ashpaw ran over. "What are you doing here?" Goldpaw asked.

The patrol consisted of Whitepaw, a black she-cat named Ravencall, Whitepaw's mentor Stormheart, and another tom called Creekwhisker.

Stormheart turned to the two apprentice toms.

"Ashpaw and Goldpaw?" Creekwhisker said. "The better question is, what are _you _doing here?"

"I just went for a walk," Ashpaw quickly defended.

"Me too," Goldpaw added. "I only bumped into Ashpaw on the way."

Creekwhisker, a dark ginger tomcat, sighed. "Alright then. We're just refreshing the markings on the borders."

"Are you done?" Ashpaw asked. "Or can we help?"

"No, we're not," Ravencall said, flicking her night-colored tail. "You can help if you want."

"Alright!" Ashpaw agreed, finding a bush and marking his scent on it, making the new scent much stronger than the old, fading one.

The trees a few rabbit-lengths ahead of them shook, and they all turned to see what it was. Four pairs of eyes glinted in the shadows of the dense leaves.

Goldpaw growled and Stormheart hissed, "ThunderClan cats."

A flame-colored tabby tom, a tortoiseshell she-cat, a white she-cat, and a young ginger-and-white she-cat—whom, the WindClan cats guessed, was probably an apprentice—emerged from the shade of the trees.

"WindClan," the white she-cat sneered. "I figured as much."

Creekwhisker stepped forward. "What is it? We did nothing to bother you."

"You are over the border!" hissed the flame-pelted tomcat. "Watch where you step!"

Goldpaw flattened his ears instantly and spat, "No, we're not!" He recklessly ran a few steps forward. He glared at the ThunderClan cats. "Now I am, you pieces of crow-food! Try using your brain or eyes for once!"

Whitepaw hissed to Goldpaw, "Get back here! You're making a bad decision!"

The white she-cat's blue eyes blazed. "How dare you speak to us like that, you fox-dung!"

The young ginger-and-white ThunderClan she-cat standing off to the side whispered to the white she-cat, "Iceriver, let's not start a fight. I know you're tempted too, but trust me, it'll just make things worse."

"You're just an apprentice, Dawnpaw," the white cat, Iceriver, retorted back rudely. "Don't tell me what to do."

Dawnpaw sighed and backed off.

"Listen, we did not cross the border," Ravencall retorted. "And we're very sorry for our apprentice's behavior." She gave Goldpaw a harsh glare—to which Goldpaw rolled his eyes—after Whitepaw pulled him back forcefully. "We'll make sure it never happens again."

"You'd better," the orange tabby growled. "If we find any more WindClan cats on our border, we're going to tell Jaystar."

"So? That doesn't scare us!" Goldpaw argued. Whitepaw gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, and Goldpaw cursed under his breath.

The ThunderClan cats pretended to ignore that.

"We're leaving now," the tortoiseshell she-cat said, her tone less harsh than the other two. "But be careful where you step."

"And teach your apprentices about borders," Iceriver growled. After that, the four padded away, the flecked apprentice tom, Riverpaw, holding his gaze on the WindClan cats a bit longer before joining the other ThunderClan warriors.

After they were out of earshot, the six WindClan cats started heading back to their camp. Whitepaw was muttering under her breath as she walked, occasionally sending glares to her brother. Ashpaw caught up to her and matched her pace, padding beside her, his flank gently brushing hers.

"Angry?" he asked gently.

"Yes," Whitepaw growled harshly. "At that thing over there." She shot a glare at Goldpaw, who was still hissing about how ThunderClan should have apologized and that they never crossed the border.

Ashpaw sighed. "Well, he just has a reckless personality. You should know that more than anyone."

"I do," Whitepaw sighed. "But it gets him into trouble."

Ashpaw didn't answer as they both saw Goldpaw brush past them and match the warriors' pace.

"Why did you give in?" Goldpaw demanded, hints of anger in his voice, but mostly directed at ThunderClan. "They should've been the ones to apologize, not us! We never even crossed the border! Well, not until I did. But that was just to prove that they were stupid!"

Creekwhisker growled at him. "Maybe we were misunderstood, Goldpaw, but turning it into a fight just makes it much worse. We try our best not to use violence when we have words instead."

"What if they don't listen?" Goldpaw hissed. His voice turned into a low whisper. "Of course they won't. No one ever listens…"

Whitepaw's glare at him instantly turned softer. She heard some hidden depth in that last sentence, but maybe that was just a coincidence. Goldpaw wouldn't say that.

"Great," Stormheart muttered. "ThunderClan is definitely going to ramble on and on about how we "crossed the border" in the next Gathering for all the clans to hear."

Whitepaw stared down at the ground as she walked. "Even though Goldpaw here made it worse (to which Goldpaw emitted a short growl), I do admit those ThunderClan overreacted," she said to Ashpaw, who was walking by her side, but Goldpaw overheard.

"Finally!" Goldpaw exclaimed.

"I mean," Whitepaw continued, only loud enough so they would hear, not the warriors padding a few tail-lengths ahead, "Even if we were misunderstood, it's not something to get that mad about. Like they haven't accidentally crossed a border before."

"Tell me about it," Goldpaw muttered. "ThunderClan cats. They think they control everything."

"But you didn't have to get so mad either," Whitepaw shot at him.

Goldpaw sighed. "Here we go again…"

The rest of the walk back was fairly quick. Goldpaw thanked the warriors for not telling Echostar about his actions. They did tell her about ThunderClan claiming WindClan cats were over the border, though, to which Echostar replied they would clear that up at the next Gathering.

That night, Goldpaw, Bluepaw, and Whitepaw fell into silent, dreamless sleeps. Whitepaw was fighting for control to not wake up in the Place of No Stars again, and the thin borderline between dream and reality became ever so blurry, unclear, and confusing. Goldpaw had flashbacks to the incident today, and somehow, he had a feeling he'd meet them again, and soon, but pushed the lingering feeling away as he drifted off into slumber. Bluepaw eyed his two younger siblings carefully, not exactly clear of the situation. But he too couldn't wrap his mind around his—and his littermates'—true past.

_Soulfire… Why did you leave our mother? Why did you leave us?_

The blue-grey tom closed his eyes.

_If you're truly gone, are you in StarClan now?_

His sleep was vacant and empty. Thoughts were swirling in his mind from the sunrise before, and left him tonight.

_And if you're really out there, where are you? _

* * *

**The next chapter will focus on Goldpaw. And a "visit" to ThunderClan. Or more like a one-cat ambush. xD Remember to review! Laterz!**


	13. Chapter 12: Caught

**I'm really really sorry this chapter has come a little later than I expected. But here it is, so enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Caught**

Whitepaw yawned and stretched her sore limbs as she opened her heavy lids, taking in the dull grey morning. There wasn't any rain or drizzle, but light grey clouds blanketed the sky and covered the blue. Whitepaw rolled on her stomach and closed her eyes again, wanting to get some more sleep, even though she was the last one in the apprentice's den already.

Gentle footsteps padded softly into the den. They were almost completely silent, but Whitepaw's sharp hearing caught it and the familiar sound was easy to identify. She rubbed her eyes with a paw and sat up.

"Morning, Ashpaw," she mumbled, slouching over.

The grey-and-black striped tomcat smiled down at her.

"It's barely morning anymore, Whitepaw," Ashpaw chuckled. "You seem really tired. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Whitepaw murmured. "Just… thinking about some stuff last night."

"What kind of stuff?" Ashpaw asked.

Whitepaw shook her head. "It's nothing, not a big deal." She brushed herself off and straightened up, maintaining her usual cheerful attitude. "So, any patrols I've missed again?"

"No, there weren't any patrols for you yet," Ashpaw answered. "But Feathersway did want us to help with herb-sorting."

"Herb-sorting?" questioned Whitepaw in confusion. "But we're not medicine cats. We know nothing about herbs. Why doesn't she get another cat to do that? Why doesn't she get her apprentice to do those jobs?"

"Bluepaw is out on a hunting patrol and I'm not sure where Goldpaw is. Cloverpaw isn't available either," said Ashpaw. "She's a bit sick."

Whitepaw's eyes suddenly widened. "Cloverpaw's sick?"

"No, it's not very serious or anything," Ashpaw said quickly, but Whitepaw was already dashing to the medicine cat's den. Sighing, he followed.

"Cloverpaw!" Whitepaw called. "Cloverpaw, are you in there?"

A beige-colored tabby she-cat padded up to them at the front door.

"Oh, you're here," Feathersway said. "Look, I need you two to—"

"Where's Cloverpaw?" asked Whitepaw worriedly.

"Cloverpaw? She's just over there in the medicine den, why?" Feathersway replied.

"I heard she's sick," Whitepaw said. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, it's fine," Feathersway flicked her tail and waved the comment off. "She's just got a stomachache from eating a rotten piece of fresh-kill, I think. She'll be better very soon."

Ashpaw stepped in the medicine den, padding forward to stand beside the silver-and-white apprentice.

"So what do we need to do?" he asked Feathersway, "we" meaning him and Whitepaw.

"Well," said the beige tabby, "I'd like you to sort these herbs here."

"All of them?" Whitepaw gawked at the large amount.

"Yes, all of them," said Feathersway, a bit impatiently. "It's newleaf and there are lots of plants and herbs to be collected."

"We don't know which one's which, though," Ashpaw told her.

A voice piped up from the back of the medicine cat's den.

"I can show you!"

Feathersway spun around. "Cloverpaw, I'll explain. You really don't need to—"

"No, it's fine," Clovepaw cut in with a smile. She gestured to the different herbs all lying in a big pile. "Now, that's coltsfoot, and beside it is feverfew. The one with the large leaves and bell-shaped flowers is comfrey. There's some spiderweb by the corner, which is to stop bleeding. And there's also some sorrel over there…"

Whitepaw groaned under her breath and started sorting, listening to Cloverpaw's instructions as Feathersway padded out of the den to do something else. Ashpaw followed Whitepaw with a light smile.

As they worked, occasionally Cloverpaw would interrupt them and say something like, "No, no, that's not horsetail! Horsetail is the tall plant with bristly stems. The one you're looking at is thyme. Put it in the pile on the right. The horsetail should be in the pile by the corner."

"Who knew Cloverpaw could be so orderly?" Whitepaw wondered aloud (not in a rude way, though), whispering so only Ashpaw could hear.

Ashpaw offered a lopsided smile. "Guess we've seen a new side of her."

Whitepaw sighed and smiled back, having no choice but to keep sorting the herbs.

* * *

Bluepaw slammed a paw down in the stream, his claws unsheathed. It made a big splash, and he noticed some red staining the once clear water. He removed his paw, and the dead fish slowly floated to the top of the stream. He scooped it out.

His mentor, Rainfeather, padded over and saw the small fish lying in a pool of water on the shore.

"Fish?" asked Rainfeather, a confused expression present on his face. Then he chuckled. "Only RiverClan cats eat fish, Bluepaw."

"I've always wanted to try it," admitted Bluepaw, staring at the creature.

Rainfeather looked at it in disgust. "I don't think it'll taste too good, looking at its slimy appearance. And WindClan cats don't generally eat fish."

"Well, you never know until you try," said Bluepaw. He sighed. "The kits and elders have to eat before the warriors and apprentices, though."

"Yes," agreed Rainfeather. "Warrior code. But if they refuse, you can try it."

Bluepaw nodded, and at that instant, a fire-colored blur flashed by. They both turned to see Blazershade as he bolted across the land, in pursuit of his prey, a light grey rabbit.

The rabbit's hind paws thumped the earth, pushing it forward in a burst of speed. Blazershade growled and picked up speed too. The light grey creature leaped across the stream, just barely making it, and Blazershade jumped over in one swift movement as well.

Bluepaw stared in awe. _WindClan cats truly are the fastest._

Blazershade had almost caught it, but the rabbit made a sudden turn and ran to Rainfeather and Bluepaw. The deputy didn't have time to make the transition, and the rabbit almost escaped. Luckily, Rainfeather bounded forward in a quick and light motion, catching the rabbit's hind leg and giving it a bite to the neck to kill it.

Blazershade came trotting up, and eventually came to a halt beside Rainfeather.

"Great catch, Rain," Blazershade praised. "I would've lost that if it wasn't for you."

"Ah, no need," Rainfeather waved his comment off with a paw, but a faint smile on his face. The smile faded though, and he suddenly spun around, ears perked up, wide blue eyes scanning the lands.

"What's wrong?" Blazershade asked hurriedly, staring at the flecked warrior.

"Bluepaw…" Rainfeather murmured. "Where is Bluepaw? I swear, he was here just a moment ago." His scent was fresh from a while ago, but his being wasn't to be seen.

"Maybe he went to chase a rabbit or a bird," Blazershade suggested. "Either way, we should search."

"Right." Rainfeather nodded. "Bluepaw is responsible, so it's not like he'd just wander off. But it's still best to know."

"I'll search the woods, you can search the land around the stream," Blazershade said in his orderly tone.

Rainfeather nodded and the deputy bounded into the nearby woods, which soon shifted into a dense forest as WindClan ground gradually became ThunderClan. The large dark orange tabby stopped a little bit behind the border. He sniffed the air and his eyes widened. He suddenly growled deeply.

"ThunderClan…"

* * *

The scent was fresh. It was familiar and very fresh. He could've been here just moments ago.

Bluepaw was sniffing the trees and ground, careful not to get caught. He recognized his brother's scent in ThunderClan territory, and although he thought Goldpaw wouldn't trespass, a faint voice in the back of his mind kept yelling no. Even though Bluepaw was extremely reluctant, Goldpaw could be in big trouble, and he didn't want to worry the whole clan and leader by bolting into the center of WindClan and shrieking, "Goldpaw's been kidnapped by ThunderClan!" Besides, he didn't even think his theory was correct. But then again, why was Goldpaw's scent so strong and so fresh in ThunderClan grounds?

_It can't be, right?_ Bluepaw thought to himself, trying to calm himself down. _What would ThunderClan want with my brother?_

A shriek suddenly split the air and Bluepaw's ears pricked up immediately. He could hear growls and hisses, angry voices of cats and harsh words being thrown back and forth. But one voice was familiar and drowned out the others.

"Goldpaw?"

Bluepaw sped through the trees as fast as he could, not even caring if ThunderClan found out at this moment. His dark blue-grey tail streaked behind him as he sprinted and swerved through the forest, his paws barely touching the ground anymore. His panting and heartbeat drowned out the birdsong in the leaves and the distant lapping of waves of a stream.

"It wasn't my fault!"

"You little WindClan pieces of mouse-dung!"

"Yeah, we ought to teach you apprentices a lesson!"

Bluepaw's eyes widened at the voices coming from ahead. He skidded to a halt as the ThunderClan camp came into view. Quickly ducking behind some bushes, he scanned the camp and finally, spotted a golden tabby pelt among them.

_Goldpaw!_

A crowd of ThunderClan cats were gathered around. A sleek light grey tomcat strode into the center of the crowd and the cats immediately parted for him.

"Jaystar!" some cats instantly voiced.

_Jaystar?_ Bluepaw thought secretly. _He must be ThunderClan's leader._

The grey tom, apparently Jaystar, halted to stand in front of a young golden tom and they seemed to be talking. But after a few sentences, the golden tom started raising his voice and Jaystar did as well, while some of the other ThunderClan warriors started throwing insults around, others whispering and murmuring to each other, and some just staring wide-eyed at the scene.

Then it got physical.

Bluepaw's dark blue eyes widened, and he wondered if he should go in and help, or stay where he is. Staying where he is definitely wouldn't do anything, but going in and stopping the fight could be dangerous and get him in trouble as well as his brother. And anyway, he didn't even know the full situation here.

_If I was in trouble and it was Goldpaw saving me, _Bluepaw started thinking, _he would definitely rush in head-first and help me with no hesitation. Even though he can be reckless and have no plans whatsoever, I do have to thank him for his courage._

Bluepaw shut his eyes tightly and was about to bolt into ThunderClan's camp, but a loud call across the clearing stopped him from doing do.

"Silence!" the voice commanded. Bluepaw opened his eyes again and saw Jaystar, sweeping the whole clan silent. Jaystar sniffed the air.

"I smell WindClan," he declared, growling.

"Well, of course. This WindClan cat here—" a dark grey tom started, gesturing at Goldpaw, but got cut off by his leader.

"No, Stoneclaw," Jaystar said. "It's not him. It's another WindClan cat." The whole clan started murmuring, their eyes wide, searching around for the other "intruder".

Bluepaw's breath stopped, and he didn't even realize he was holding his breath until he remembered how to breathe again. Goldpaw's ears instantly perked up.

One of the warriors of ThunderClan, a dark brown tabby tom, had his bright green eyes locked on a bush. Bluepaw noticed that it was the bush he was hiding behind. He ducked further, tucking in his tail and flattening his ears. But it wasn't enough.

"Kitefeather!" **(A/N: A kite is also a type of bird of prey. I do not mean the kite which you hold onto and fly. I mean the bird, kite. You can search it up if you don't believe me.) **Jaystar called to the brown tabby, "Kitefeather, where are you—"

The brown tom growled and padded, head low, to the bush. Bluepaw wanted to bolt away and he wanted to stay all at once, but before he could make up his mind, sharp teeth dragged him out of his hiding place by the scruff of his neck.

Kitefeather hissed, revealing the WindClan apprentice. The clan gasped and Jaystar growled lowly. Bluepaw, daring to open his eyes, saw a gold blur in the corner of his vision. Goldpaw's bright amber eyes widened.

"Bluepaw?"

* * *

**That's chapter 12 for you guys! :) Plz leave a review! Thank you!**


	14. Chapter 13: Intruders

**Chapter 13: Intruders**

"Bluepaw, what are you doing here?" exclaimed Goldpaw, his ears flattened, his voice just a hiss.

"Me?" Bluepaw growled. "What were _you _doing in ThunderClan territory?"

The ThunderClan warriors around them started arguing as well, until Jaystar cut them off.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" he yowled. "Quiet, please!"

The voices all dropped and utter silence filled the atmosphere, until a white she-cat spoke up. Goldpaw immediately recognized her. The memory of her wasn't good.

"Then what do we do about these irresponsible WindClan apprentices?" the she-cat hissed, glaring at Goldpaw and Bluepaw through narrowed sapphire slits.

"For now, we keep them here at camp, Iceriver," Jaystar replied calmly. "We need to clear things up and understand what made them intrude into ThunderClan territory." He shot a look to the two WindClan toms. Bluepaw lowered his head while Goldpaw glared back. "And maybe some cats from WindClan can come and bring them back to WindClan."

"There's a small, unused den beside the elder's den," a ThunderClan apprentice piped up. "Maybe we can keep them there."

"What!" another tom—one that was also very familiar to Goldpaw, as he recognized them from their dispute with ThunderClan at the border—exclaimed angrily. "They're prisoners here and they get their own den? This isn't a luxury stay!"

"Calm down, Flameshade," Jaystar said. "We haven't fully assessed the situation. We aren't clear of why they're here. Maybe it's for a reason."

_Or maybe it's just a foolish young apprentice looking for revenge,_ Bluepaw thought inwardly, biting back insults for Goldpaw and trying to keep a calm composure. He knew what had happened with ThunderClan at the border from Whitepaw telling him.

"Stoneclaw, please escort these apprentices to the unused den beside the elder's one," Jaystar commanded. Stoneclaw dipped his head to show he understood, and swept his dark grey tail as he lead Bluepaw and Goldpaw to the den. They followed—though Goldpaw reluctantly.

They were kept at the den and forced to wait while some of the ThunderClan cats were told to go fetch WindClan and clear things up. A ThunderClan warrior guarded the entrance. The den was quite dark, a thick layer of brambles covering the entrance, only a narrow passageway uncovered to enter the den. Goldpaw sighed and Bluepaw spun around to glare at him.

"What do you think you were doing, intruding into ThunderClan grounds?" Bluepaw growled at the golden tabby.

"You heard what happened the other sunrise!" Goldpaw retorted back. "It was ThunderClan's fault and WindClan did nothing wrong!"

"Revenge is never the answer," Bluepaw hissed, his voice a low whisper. "It was a misunderstanding. Now let it go and stop making the situation worse!"

"Well, _they_ shouldn't have gotten angry at _us_ in the first place! I was only—" Goldpaw stopped when he saw a familiar ginger-and-white blur flash by amongst the brambles. The sleek shape halted and then proceeded into the den Bluepaw and Goldpaw were staying at, ignoring the guard's commands.

The brambles parted and revealed a thin, ginger-and-white she-cat with soft orange eyes.

"Who are you?" Bluepaw asked, eyes narrowing. "Another cat Jaystar sent to keep an eye on us? Well, no need. We aren't going anywhere."

"I just…" the young she-cat started. "I just wanted to ask if you were hungry or anything."

"Hungry?" Bluepaw repeated. "No, we're not. And correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we prisoners and not respected guests?"

"Yes, well…" the she-cat trailed off.

Bluepaw suddenly glanced at Goldpaw and noticed he was staring at the young ThunderClan she-cat, his amber eyes slightly narrowed. The she-cat also caught his eye.

"I recognize you!" the she-cat exclaimed. "You're that apprentice we ran into that time at the border."

"And you're that apprentice _we_ ran into at _our_ border," Goldpaw argued back. However, the young golden tom couldn't help but notice she was quite pretty. Her pelt was well-groomed and she had a lithe figure. Her eyes were a soft orange, like the last glow of the sunset…

"Well, if you could please leave us alone," Bluepaw suddenly spoke up, snapping Goldpaw out of his thoughts. Goldpaw was about to retort to that, but quickly shut his mouth before any words dared to come out.

The she-cat sighed and was about to pad away, but Goldpaw's voice called her back.

"What was your name again?" he asked. Bluepaw stared at him in surprise and the she-cat turned around and answered before walking away again.

"My name is Dawnpaw."

Goldpaw peeked his head out of the den's entrance, not noticed by the guard (who was getting distracted), hoping to catch a last glimpse of the ginger-and-white apprentice she-cat. Bluepaw noticed and padded up silently to stand beside his brother, following his gaze.

"What are you looking at?" Bluepaw whispered, his voice a slight hiss. "Just get inside the den and wait patiently before we get into more trouble!"

"No, look at that!" Goldpaw whispered back, pointing with his paw.

They saw a large, long-haired flecked tom—who looked quite old—with piercing yellow eyes who caught his attention. The tom's grey-and-white pelt was matted with dirt and filled with scratches and scars. One ear was missing and he only had half a tail. He noticed the commotion and growled, eyes just slits, as he padded toward Jaystar and hissed to the leader, revealing his crooked, yellow fangs.

"What now?" he rasped irritably. "It was quite peaceful and suddenly, the whole of ThunderClan is in a commotion."

"Spottedfeather," Jaystar greeted first, dipping his head slightly in respect. The large flecked tom just growled and shook it off.

_So his name is Spottedfeather,_ Bluepaw thought, staring at the scene. _There's just something about him that…_

"Apparently two apprentices from WindClan have intruded into ThunderClan territory," Jaystar started.

"Oh, for the love of StarClan, stop using 'intrude' already!" Goldpaw hissed. Bluepaw shot him a glare, silencing him.

Spottedfeather scoffed. "WindClan? Pfft!"

"We still need to keep them here until we figure out what's going on and until we have some WindClan cats bring them back," Jaystar explained. "They need to know too and train their apprentices better also."

"Clearly," Spottedfeather growled and turned away.

"Jaystar! The patrol has returned with the WindClan cats!" a black and brown tabby tom reported. Jaystar followed his gaze and saw some ThunderClan cats escorting a small group of WindClan cats into the ThunderClan camp. Goldpaw and Bluepaw saw Echostar in the lead, with Ravencall, a white and grey she-cat named Willowfern, and Whitepaw's mentor Stormheart trailing behind.

_They must be here to take us back, _Bluepaw thought with guilt. _Great, we're going to be in huge trouble this time._

Bluepaw could hear Goldpaw groan beside him.

They saw Jaystar talking with Echostar. Jaystar's expression was an unpleased one, while Echostar showed disbelief and shock. The ThunderClan leader walked the silver she-cat to the den Bluepaw and Goldpaw were staying at. The two brothers ducked away and tried to hide but it was too late.

"Bluepaw? Goldpaw?" Echostar gasped. "It's true?"

Stormheart growled. "You two are in a lot of trouble."

"You see?" ThunderClan's deputy, a russet-colored she-cat, padded up to join Jaystar and Echostar, accusing Bluepaw and Goldpaw of "invading".

"But I know Goldpaw and Bluepaw," Echostar retorted, ears flattened, tail lashing. "I know them, and I know they wouldn't intentionally do that!" The cats of WindClan and ThunderClan started a heated argument.

Goldpaw sighed in regret and Bluepaw felt extremely guilty, but the more half, angry at his brother. But then again, just because Goldpaw had, didn't mean he had to follow him. Yet he couldn't just leave Goldpaw, right?

"Echostar," Goldpaw said suddenly, stepping forward out of the brambles. Bluepaw was about to talk, but Goldpaw had beat him to it. All eyes were on him.

"I just wanted to say that… it's true. We did," Goldpaw announced, guilt lacing his voice, but his tone still confident and clear. Echostar's eyes widened and many of the ThunderClan cats started yowling that they were right. Jaystar silenced them.

"But don't blame Bluepaw," Goldpaw continued. Bluepaw stared at him in great surprise. "I was the one who purposefully went onto ThunderClan territory first and Bluepaw here was just trying to save me."

And despite everything, and even though he was still furious, a faint smile somehow forced its way onto Bluepaw's face.

"And above everything, I just wanted to say… I'm sorry."

* * *

**This chappie was kinda shorter than the previous ones, but oh well. It was a pretty fast update. :) So Goldpaw's anger kinda blinded him in the beginning and he just rushed to ThunderClan without a plan, really. But after some time he did realize he was stupid to do that. (And I am proud of him for saying sorry. :) One of the only times in his life he's ever mustered that word. XD) **

**Btw, as I said before, do try to remember the new characters I introduce (if you don't, it's ok too haha, but I'm just saying it is better to) 'cause I guarantee you almost every one of them will make another appearance and have something to do with the story's plot. (In this case, cats like Dawnpaw and Spottedfeather.)**

**Alright, review please! :D**


	15. Chapter 14: Apology Accepted

**Chapter 14: Apology Accepted**

Whitepaw sighed in relief as, finally, all the herbs in the medicine den were sorted neatly into different piles. Ashpaw, who was sitting beside her, gazed at the piles proudly and smiled, obviously relieved it was over.

"Finally!" Whitepaw exclaimed happily. "I thought'd we'd never finish."

Cloverpaw laughed lightly from her spot inside the medicine cat's den.

"You should be able to leave now," the young patched she-cat mewed.

"Great!" Ashpaw said, padding out. He halted and looked back. "Whitepaw, are you coming?"

"Oh, coming," Whitepaw said, hurrying outside. Before leaving, she whispered to Cloverpaw, "Get well soon!" Cloverpaw just smiled and nodded.

Outside, the orange sun was beginning to set, filling the sky with a soft, burning fire. Ashpaw opened his mouth, about to say something, but a blue-grey blur suddenly flashed as the figure bounded into WindClan's center. Several cats stopped what they were doing and looked to see a light blue-grey she-cat with a darker stripe running down her back standing in the middle. Whitepaw and Ashpaw recognized Swiftriver, a young WindClan warrior.

"Everyone! Goldpaw and Bluepaw are being kept prisoner in ThunderClan's territory!" she yowled, wide-eyed, her clear call ringing through the camp.

"Prisoner?" several cats murmured. They whispered amongst themselves, some wide-eyed, some growling and lashing their tails at ThunderClan, some announcing they were heading to ThunderClan themselves to bring the two WindClan apprentices back.

Ashpaw's eyes widened too, and Whitepaw was stunned at hearing the news about her brothers.

"Echostar took Ravencall, Stormheart and Willowfern to ThunderClan," Swiftriver continued. "They're talking things over with ThunderClan's leader right now."

"Wait, why were Bluepaw and Goldpaw in ThunderClan territory?" Ashpaw asked quickly before Whitepaw could say anything.

"I'm not too sure, but I heard them saying something about two apprentices intruding into ThunderClan grounds, looking for revenge," Swiftriver replied. She made a confused expression. "As if I know what that means!"

Ashpaw's orange eyes widened with realization. Then he sighed in defeat at his friend's actions and muttered, "Goldpaw…"

Whitepaw lashed her tail and growled. "That stupid rabbit-brain! Getting revenge on ThunderClan? Seriously?"

"Now, we're not sure that's what really happened," Ashpaw tried to reason. "Let's not make conclusions yet."

"What else _could've_ happened?" Whitepaw snapped coldly, and Ashpaw lowered his gaze, his ears drooping a bit. Whitepaw immediately felt regretful.

"I'm sorry, Ashpaw, I didn't mean to," she murmured, flattening her ears. "I just…" She sighed. "I guess I was just angry at Goldpaw."

Despite her tone, Ashpaw looked up and smiled warmly at her. "That's okay. I understand."

A grey-and-white tom suddenly piped up from the crowds.

"Should we just wait for Echostar and the others to come back, then?" he asked to all the cats.

Another warrior, a ginger tabby tom, growled and bared his fangs.

"No, we should just head over to ThunderClan right now and beat those mouse-chasers 'til they can't even stand!" he hissed. "How dare they kidnap our apprentices and keep them as prisoners!"

"Firestorm, calm down," Feathersway stepped up and said to the ginger tom. She turned to the grey-and-white tom from before. "I agree with Dewpelt. I think we should just wait for Echostar to come back. We could cause more trouble if we all went to ThunderClan. Besides, it's not needed. I'm sure Echostar and the others can handle themselves just fine."

Firestorm sighed and nodded, calming down, agreeing with the medicine cat. "You're right, Feathersway."

Whitepaw lowered her head. "I hope Bluepaw and Goldpaw are both okay."

"Yeah," Ashpaw murmured in agreement.

"But that Goldpaw is going to be in big trouble!" the silver-and-white tabby growled soon after. Ashpaw sighed, while the whole clan was waiting impatiently in suspense.

* * *

"I'm sorry. I really am."

Echostar smiled faintly at Goldpaw, and frankly, Bluepaw was quite impressed. He couldn't help but feel a small pang of pride and happiness all mixed together at that moment. After Goldpaw was finished, Bluepaw nodded in agreement to all he said, not even needing to say anything anymore.

"Well?" Echostar directed her gaze toward Jaystar. "That is the truth."

The whole clan's eyes were wide and on Jaystar, waiting for what he'd say. At last, the ThunderClan sighed and gave in.

"Alright, I'll believe you, and you can take them back to WindClan," he declared. Some cats murmured in agreement, while others argued that they shouldn't be allowed free, but Jaystar ignored their comments and stuck to his decision.

Stormheart and Ravencall nodded, Willowfern smiled, and Echostar murmured a "thank you". She turned to Goldpaw and Bluepaw and beckoned them to follow, as the small patrol of WindClan cats prepared to escort the two apprentices back home.

"Just remember to teach your apprentices on proper rules," Jaystar growled deeply. "Don't bother us and we won't bother you."

"Of course," Echostar dipped her head and said. "Even so, this won't go unpunished for them." By "them", meaning Goldpaw and Bluepaw. The two young toms both showed some regret in their eyes, Bluepaw lowering his head and tail down and Goldpaw flattening his ears.

"Let's go," Stormheart said.

Bluepaw turned to leave and Goldpaw's gaze held a little longer on a ginger-and-white she-cat, who gave a last smile to him before disappearing into the trees. Two bright yellow eyes held Goldpaw's gaze as well, but before the other WindClan cats could dissolve into the shadows of the leaves, Goldpaw took one last glance at the large flecked tomcat and joined the others.

They left ThunderClan and padded through forests, until they thinned into woods and then, just a few trees here and there. Through the walk, Echostar talked with Stormheart in the lead, Ravencall and Willowfern were in conversation a little bit behind, and Goldpaw and Bluepaw were the last, padding in silence, until Bluepaw finally spoke up.

"Even though I'm still mad at you for what you did," he began, growling, his voice gradually becoming softer, "I am impressed by your apology. Thank you for doing that."

Goldpaw's eyes were cold at first, but they softened as well as Bluepaw spoke. The tabby tom grinned faintly.

"Guess we all have to grow up at one point or another, huh?" he laughed jokingly, but Bluepaw could detect he partially meant it. But in another part of his mind, even though Goldpaw will keep learning, he knew that his brother would never stop being _him, _and even though Bluepaw wouldn't admit it, he was happy for that.

"And I'm sorry to you too," Goldpaw said after a sigh. "You wouldn't have gotten into trouble if I didn't go and foolishly intrude into ThunderClan in the first place."

"I guess we all learn something," Bluepaw said, smiling.

Goldpaw agreed. Then he continued, much to Bluepaw's surprise, in a light, but at the same time, meaningful tone, "And while I can still muster saying sorry (Goldpaw had laughed lightly at this), I just wanted to say to you… I'm sorry for everything."

Bluepaw's eyes widened a bit, not entirely believing what he was hearing from his brother.

"Sorry for all the pranks I've pulled on you, sorry for all the times I've gotten you in trouble, sorry for every time I was mean to you and Whitepaw," Goldpaw continued, rambling on. He stopped himself. "I just wanted to apologize for those times."

Bluepaw wanted to argue with him at that moment, and he knew there would definitely be many more arguments with his troublemaker brother and friend, but he also knew, more clearly, that now wasn't the right time. And as Goldpaw could still muster apologizing, Bluepaw figured he could muster forgiving him. After all, that's what siblings do, right?

So instead, he smiled, forgiving all those times but not quite forgetting them. Not yet.

"Apology accepted."

* * *

**This was sort of a shorter chapter. It's mainly focused on Bluepaw and Goldpaw, I guess. But don't worry, our old troublemaking Goldpaw will definitely be back. Probably next chapter or so. xD But he does agree it's good to apologize once in a while and he'd better before he can't say sorry anymore.**

**Please review & 'til next time, later! :)**


	16. Chapter 15: Newcomer

**I think this might be the longest chapter yet! It totals 2,486 words (well, including the author's note, but this isn't very long). So enjoy chapter 15 and please review if you liked it (or didn't like it! Either way, please review!). :D**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Newcomer**

A quarter-moon passed by.

Greenleaf was approaching quickly. Each sunrise got hotter and the blazing sun seemed to stay held high in the blue sky longer, while the cool nights shrunk shorter. Blossoms and new stems shifted into flowers and blades of green grass.

It was moonhigh.

The cool night air winded through the healthy green leaves, making the trees whisper in undecipherable noises. A large cat's figure padded silently by the edge of a pond, hiding in the darkness of the night and the shade of the leaves, his shape reflected in the clear water below. His fur was blurred in the darkness, but two bright, narrowed lemony orbs pierced straight through the shadows.

He halted and turned to face the stream in a small area clear of any trees. Starlight wasn't enough alone, but the faint silvery glow of the moon was enough to illuminate his scarred, ragged pelt. At closer inspection, his muzzle was lined with silver, one of his ears torn, and half of his bushy tail missing.

He slowly lowered his head until his muzzle was almost in contact with the pond's surface, and then, ever so softly, he touched his nose to the water. All of a sudden, the pond's reflection of the peaceful moon and stars and trees shattered, and was replaced by a haunting image of bright yellow and lime-green eyes like slits, hidden in the shadows of a forest of dark, tall and dead trees.

"Soulfire…"

He cracked a faint, crooked smile, somehow hiding something.

"You cannot hide forever, my friend."

* * *

Whitepaw fidgeted in her sleep. The comforting noises of the apprentice den and the WindClan camp all vanished as she opened her eyes. The eerie silver fog that swirled through the branches and the light with no source… Those narrowed fox eyes, hiding some twisted secret… Those hidden claws and fangs, only shone by their glint in the shadows… The grey-black trees as they loomed over her, and she had suddenly felt so small… She knew it all too well.

"The Dark Forest." The silver-and-white tabby clenched her teeth and shut her eyes in her dream, wanting to run away, run as fast she could and never ever look back. But she knew she couldn't. "Please… Not again."

Memories of a half-moon ago flooded back and seemed to flash in front of her eyes. The metallic scent of blood, the ear-piercing screams in the distance, the eyes and claws and fangs chasing after her, and the dead cat lying on the cold, dead earth, fresh blood gushing from his empty eye socket and deep gashes in his flank, forming a pool beneath his limp body. A blur of raven-colored fur as it flashed by in the trees. A silver surface.

_The lake! _Whitepaw suddenly remembered, heart racing. _If I find the Lake of Mirrors, I'll be able to leave this place!_

She swung her head from side to side, desperately trying to locate a cave with a narrow entrance somewhere, anywhere. But as she realized a few moments later, every tree, every crack in the earth, every jagged stone in her path, they all looked the same and mixed into one, forming the Place of No Stars. How was she supposed to find a small cave in this huge forest of hell?

_Nightheart_, she began to panic, trying to think, and immediately stopped herself. _No, it's Eclipse, and he isn't going to come and save me this time. I can't depend on him forever._

Right then, she wanted to curl in a tight ball and hide by crawling into a hole, or just vanish from this world.

_But why do I keep ending up here? There has to be a reason, right?_

At that very moment, a blood-curdling shriek split the air. Whitepaw's fur instantly stood up, making her appear twice as big as she really is. Her emerald eyes widened until a bit of the white rim was visible, and her ears perked up straight, then flattened against the back of her head.

_I am not going this time_, she reminded herself, repeating it over and over in her mind. _I was almost killed last time, and I am not going to get into any more trouble here. Just focus on a way of getting out._

Another thought hit her, and she suddenly found herself doubting Eclipse's words.

_If this is nothing but a nightmare, can I really die here? Or is fear just a foolish emotion to have right now?_

But that was the same cat her leader had trusted with her life, and Whitepaw decided in an instant that she would trust him too, whatever it took, which reminded her that she needed to speak with Echostar sometime soon and talk to her about Eclipse and the Dark Forest. But that "soon" would have to wait.

A loud, yowling voice from up ahead distracted the apprentice. Her mind told her body to stay, but her paws wouldn't listen to her head that moment, and they dragged her to a clearing in the forest. Each passing heartbeat was painfully slow, as she kept mentally telling herself to turn back, walk back, and not face the possible horrors that would await in front of her. But of all the times her mind and body wouldn't cooperate, this would have to be the worst.

She peeked over some thin branches of a bush, still trying to conceal herself, which wasn't easy since the leaves had all withered and died already. And Whitepaw found herself wondering how the atmosphere here could be so dark, heavy, and full of death, when in the clans, it was a bright and peaceful greenleaf.

She caught sight of what was happening in the clearing. A muscular, long-haired white tom with many scratches across his pelt stood on one side, his shredded ears flattened, his sharp claws unsheathed, his ice-blue eyes narrowed, his whole body lowered to the ground and in battle position. On the opposite side stood a short-haired dark brown tom, his muscles rippling under his pelt as he shifted his weight from leg to leg. He also bared his fangs and flattened his ears, claws out and ready to fight, shooting the white tom with a menacing glare. However, it didn't seem to affect the white cat one bit. A crowd containing around ten to twelve cats surrounded them, and Whitepaw strained to see the center.

"Iceclaw and Oakfire," a low voice rumbled from the shadow of the trees. A large ginger tom stepped out and Whitepaw's eyes widened. "Are you both ready?" he asked, his voice deep, his fangs glinting as he grinned mischievously.

The white tom growled a "yes" to both him and his brown-pelted opponent, while the short-haired cat just mustered a nod.

"Start!"

_Are they really going to…_

The thinner brown tom made the first move. He leaped forward, his strong hind legs pushing him off the ground. With his claws unsheathed, he charged toward his opponent.

"And Oakfire makes the first move," the dark ginger tom smiled crookedly, announcing to the crowd.

The white tom's ice-like eyes narrowed into slits, but he didn't leap away as he watched the brown cat leap at him, about to attack. Whitepaw stretched her neck to see, in fear, unusual excitement, and pure suspense all at once.

"Strange," the ginger tom muttered in his cold, unsettling voice again. The battle kept the crowd focused on the two fighting cats, though. "Iceclaw is not dodging. But it is not wise to underestimate him." He grinned faintly again after finishing that last sentence.

At the last possible heartbeat, Iceclaw swiftly leaped to the side a couple tail-lengths, but just enough to dodge the attacking Oakfire. The brown tom's flame-colored eyes widened as he ended up crashing on a small boulder jutting out of the ground. His opponent quickly took that chance to gain on him. Iceclaw pinned him down onto the stone with a large white paw, claws unsheathed and digging at the dark brown cat's throat. Oakfire hissed, refusing to give up this early into the fight. He kicked furiously with his hind legs until one paw caught Iceclaw in his stomach, hard. Iceclaw cursed under his breath and his grip on Oakfire's neck weakened, thus letting the sleek brown tomcat escape in a swift motion. Oakfire quickly hooked a paw around Iceclaw's hind leg, flipping him onto his back, but the muscular white tom immediately twisted around onto his belly again and stood up, out of Oakfire's grip. Oakfire leaped back a few paces and bared his teeth, hissing, while Iceclaw growled back fiercely.

"I'll beat you this time, Iceclaw," the brown tom spat. "I'll beat you for sure."

Iceclaw merely smirked. "In your dreams, fox-dung."

Oakfire's orange-amber eyes flew wide and he snarled, suddenly charging toward Iceclaw at lightning-speed. They fought at close range, claws and teeth scratching and scarring each other's flank. Iceclaw caught Oakfire in the midst of his distraction and took this chance to sink his teeth into his opponent's brown-furred neck. Some blood started to leak out and Oakfire's eyes widened. He tried to yowl but no sound came out, and he could only keep his traumatizing pain to himself.

A few gasps, snarls, and mutterings from the crowd ensued. The dark ginger tom's eyes only glinted with mere amusement at the sight of the Dark Forest warrior about to die, but another figure stepped out from the darkness behind him and joined the large ginger tom on the ledge he was standing on. The newcomer held his tail erect and shushed the crowd.

"Stop the fight," he spoke, not snarling or growling, his tone only stern.

The ginger tom whipped around and faced him in surprise. The new cat was a tom. A sleek, lithe tom with a creamy-white coat. Aside from a few scratches on his cheeks and on his ear, he didn't have many scars on his body like the other Dark Forest warriors. Whitepaw held her breath, the white rims around her emerald orbs now visible.

"I didn't know you would be here today. But welcome," the ginger tom greeted, dipping his head slightly to the new tomcat.

"You could say it was a surprise appearance, Blazescar," the creamy-white cat said back to the ginger tom, chuckling a bit.

The two directed their attention to the two cats in the center of the crowd. Iceclaw had lifted his fangs out of Oakfire's neck and stopped the fight as the creamy-white-colored tom had ordered. A few cats from the crowd rushed to heal the brown tomcat's wounds on the side of the clearing. Badly wounded around the throat area, but he wasn't dead. Iceclaw merely shook his few wounds off and padded into the crowd of cats, a slight smirk on his face.

"The battle was just getting interesting," Blazescar, the large dark ginger tom, murmured, wearing a faint, devious smile on his lips.

The creamy-white tom sitting beside him on the ledge had a more serious expression on.

"Maybe for you," he uttered. "But Oakfire is still a skilled warrior, and he should not be sacrificed because of such foolish reasons."

"Oakfire?" Blazescar scoffed. "I'm sorry to disrespect your judgement, but if that brown-furred mouse-brain isn't strong enough to beat Iceclaw, he isn't needed here."

"Iceclaw is a powerful fighter," the other tom said calmly back. "It's not a surprise. Not many cats can defeat him in a battle."

Blazescar just narrowed his eyes and diverted his attention onto something else. Suddenly, he lifted his scarred muzzle and sniffed the air, his claws instantly unsheathing and his eyes just angry slits.

"I smell something…" he began, then stopped himself. "No, some_one_, familiar," he hissed into the shadows.

Whitepaw breath stopped in her throat.

_No, not again!_

She glanced behind her quickly and decided that if she made a run for it now, she might be able to survive. She still wasn't clear if you could actually die in a nightmare, but she wasn't going to take any chances.

"You…" Blazescar growled. His eyes flashed to where Whitepaw was trying to hide. Whitepaw's green eyes shone in fright. The ginger tom started slowly padding toward her, while the whole crowd of cats' attention was directed onto the silver-and-white apprentice she-cat.

_No running now._

"You again…"

"W-why do you c-care?" Whitepaw tried to sound confident, but was failing horribly as she stuttered, forcing out each syllable. "W-what… What do you want?"

The ginger tom sneered and looked ready to pounce with his claws stretched out. Frantic thoughts were running through Whitepaw's mind, but one was most clear.

_I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm definitely going to die this time._

Suddenly, a voice broke her from her thoughts. A voice that wasn't cold and slithering like the other Dark Forest cats that Whitepaw had met the last time, but one that still seemed slightly unnatural, and definitely hiding something.

"Are you new here?"

The young tabby she-cat's green eyes widened as she noticed who the speaker was. She noticed his creamy-white coat, the thin ginger stripe that ran down his spine, his glinting pearl-white fangs, his lithe figure, a body shape much like her own. In fact, the relation was stunningly true.

But first, she had noticed his fire-colored eyes…

_This isn't real… Please tell me this isn't real…_

Yet they lacked any warmth they were supposed to have.

Whitepaw didn't know how to respond to his question. She didn't want to respond. She could just pretend his voice was a fading echo, but his intent gaze on her seemed to freeze time, and Blazerscar's nearing figure seemed to grow fainter and fainter.

There was only one thing she could manage to muster at that heartbeat, her voice coming out as barely a whisper.

"Who are you?"

And he smiled, his fangs glinting in the eerie, dim light, his flaming orbs breaking the dark.

It seemed to set a blazing fire to the forest.

"I am Soulfire."


	17. Chapter 16: Dreamless

**Chapter 16: Dreamless**

_"I am Soulfire."_

Blazing orange and the deepest emerald collided at that moment.

_Father…?_

Time seemed to slow down and the vision of the Dark Forest grew fainter and fainter until finally, it faded away completely. The world was a total-pitch black right then.

She blinked in the darkness, until her sight started to waver and she closed her eyes while the last light vanished as well…

* * *

"Bluepaw, Rainfeather is calling you," Ashpaw told him, trotted up to the dark blue-grey apprentice tom.

Bluepaw's ears pricked up and he scanned the camp, searching for his mentor. He saw him standing under the shade of a tall tree a few fox-lengths away. He nodded to Ashpaw.

"Thanks."

Before bounding off, Bluepaw halted for a bit. He turned to face the grey-and-black striped tom.

"By the way, Ashpaw, have you seen Whitepaw?" Bluepaw asked.

Ashpaw's eyes seemed to flicker with worry and concern for a moment before he shook it off and met Bluepaw's gaze.

"She's still in the apprentice's den," he told Bluepaw. "It sounds like she's been having a lot of nightmares recently, and she always seems very tired throughout the day."

_Nightmares?_ Bluepaw thought, possibly having an idea of what it could be, but he refused to believe it and pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

"I've also seen her with some wounds and scratches in the morning," Ashpaw continued, looking down at his paws. "I don't think it was from training." He sighed. "You should check on her. I'm worried."

Bluepaw nodded slowly.

"I have to go hunting now," Ashpaw murmured. "Bye." And with that, he dashed away, leaving Bluepaw feeling cold and unsettled.

"Bluepaw! Come on!" a voice broke him from his thoughts. The apprentice spotted a grey-and-white flecked cat waving his tail in the air, beckoning him to come over.

"Just a second," he called. Rainfeather tapped a paw against the ground impatiently, blue eyes narrowing.

Bluepaw saw a patched she-cat pad by. He stopped her.

"Cloverpaw, can you check on Whitepaw?" he asked the medicine cat apprentice as she halted, turning to face him and listening. "She's still in the apprentice's den."

"Oh, sure," Cloverpaw answered quickly. She glanced in the den's direction, her eyes portraying some concern and confusion. "What's wrong? Is she sick?"

"I'm not sure, just please go check on her," Bluepaw replied hurriedly. "I have to go, sorry."

He met up with his mentor and the older tom led him to a marshy area, close to the territory of RiverClan, by the Twolegplace, for training. The land underneath his paws weren't as solid as the WindClan grounds. Bluepaw suddenly felt unsafe, as if he'd sink into the wetlands and drown in the murky water, gasping for his last breath, never to be seen again. But he tried to shake any stray thoughts off and focus on training.

He noticed a clear sky above him and some fluffy white clouds dotting the blue. The occasional songbird zipped past above his head, whistling a relaxing, cheerful tune. And a little farther away, he could just make out a golden field with a tiny bit of red and white…

Rainfeather's instructions didn't register immediately, but Bluepaw couldn't help but gaze wistfully at the distance, his dark orbs reflecting a collision of light blue and glowing gold.

He breathed a sigh of longing memory.

"The barn…"

* * *

The sunlight was bright and almost blinding as it seeped into the den. A shadow partially blocked the sunshine.

"Whitepaw," Cloverpaw called into the apprentice's den. "Are you awake?"

A slim silver-and-white figure in the den could be seen, curled in a ball in one of the nests of the den.

"Whitepaw?" Cloverpaw strode further in. She halted beside her tabby friend, slowly reaching out a paw and prodding the silver-and-white she-cat gently. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Two wide emerald eyes opened, blinking up at the medicine cat apprentice. Whitepaw rubbed her eyes with a paw and slowly stood up, shaking a bit at first. She saw a familiar figure standing in front of her, gazing at her with widened, worried eyes.

"Cloverpaw, I…" Whitepaw began sleepily, but trailed off, her eyes glazed over and her ears drooping.

"What's wrong?" Cloverpaw asked, a concerned expression on her face. After the tabby gave no answer, she flicked her tail and decided to lead Whitepaw out of the den to get some fresh air and sunshine.

_She's probably just still tired or sleepy_, Cloverpaw thought, brushing any unimportant thoughts off. But an unsettling feeling was still pricking at her.

"I-I… saw…" Whitepaw stuttered out, but her voice ended up fading off again, as if she thought the matter was not important enough, or she was hesitating to tell it aloud. Her eyelids drooped down, and her paw steps were unusually heavy and unsteady.

Cloverpaw turned around. She noticed Whitepaw started stumbling as she walked. Now worried, she flanked the tabby apprentice and draped her tail over Whitepaw's forehead. The patched she-cat's eyes widened, and she knew her assumptions were right.

"Feathersway!" Cloverpaw called, her tone urgent. "Whitepaw's sick!"

An older light brown tabby she-cat rushed over from inside the medicine den, her ears pricked up at the sound of her apprentice's voice.

"What is it?" she asked, her tail twitching.

"It's Whitepaw," Cloverpaw said, gesturing at the silver-and-white cat with her tail. "I think she's sick."

Feathersway glanced over at the apprentice. By examining, she already knew the truth.

"Alright, bring her to the medicine den," Feathersway ordered. She trotted away in the direction of the medicine cat's den, beginning to bring out the herbs needed.

Cloverpaw lead Whitepaw toward the den, making sure she wasn't stumbling or falling. Some cats' gazes began to follow the two, wondering what was wrong, but many went back to their jobs after Cloverpaw gave a flick of her tail and waved it off, telling them it's not anything important.

_I wouldn't want more cats to worry_, Cloverpaw thought. _Besides, it's probably not a serious sickness anyway. And Feathersway wouldn't like it if I brought more cats into this situation._

She peeked her head in the medicine den, bringing Whitepaw with her. She set Whitepaw down on a comfortable nest in the den to treat patients, and Feathersway started examining further. After a few moments, she came to the conclusion that the silver-and-white she-cat had a strong fever.

"A fever?" asked Cloverpaw worriedly. "How did she get a fever?"

"Maybe it was too cold and rainy to be training or hunting one day," Feathersway suggested. "Or maybe she caught it from some other cat, but there are no other cats that are sick here." She sighed and started gathering herbs. "Right now, the important part is to cure the fever."

Cloverpaw nodded. Whitepaw stared at them through a blurry vision, her whole body starting to ache and she began to feel lightheaded now.

"Give her poppy seeds and daisy leaves if we have any," Feathersway instructed. "It'll help dull the aching and make the fever go down, even if it's only a bit."

"Alright." Cloverpaw gathered the leaves and poppy seeds, and then brought them to where Whitepaw was curled up. She laid them in front of Whitepaw's nose.

"Come on, eat these to get better," Cloverpaw mewed, nudging the herbs.

Groaning, Whitepaw reluctantly chewed the seeds and daisy leaves, swallowing them in an effort. Cloverpaw offered a small, lopsided smile and went back to sorting the herbs.

Whitepaw watched her work, feeling sleepier as the effects of the poppy seeds set in. Her eyelids felt heavier by the second, and finally, she closed her eyes completely, falling into a dreamless sleep. The last thing she saw before falling into a cold slumber was a striped grey pelt shadowing the light at the den entrance.

_I saw him… _

* * *

**Sorry it took a while! But please still review! More excitement will be coming up, including Whitepaw with the Dark Forest, Goldpaw and Bluepaw and the ThunderClan cats, and more about Soul & Eclipse. :D **

**Bye bye! **


	18. Chapter 17: Moonhigh Conversations

**Before I start the chapter I wanna say I'm SO SO SO SO sorry for not updating in a long time (about a month, I think? Well that's long for me). I actually planned to upload this a while ago, but things started happening and I got real busy and my life's a dramatic mess right now so… well, here you go! :) (I do admit I kinda forgot about this. -_- You can kill me later.)**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Moonhigh Conversations**

A flash of gold stirred in his comfortable nest of moss as soft rays of silver moonshine washed into the apprentice's den. Some faint coughing was heard from the den, and two bright, clear amber eyes immediately opened, blinking, still half-lidded, scanning the area around him.

_Whitepaw's still sick?_

Goldpaw fidgeted, yawning and attempting to sleep again, but he knew it would be hard for him to get lost in peaceful slumber again. His ears pricked up and he spotted his sister's silver-and-white fur amongst the sleeping WindClan apprentices. Her flank rose and fell slowly now, and she wasn't coughing quite as hardly as a few sunrises ago. She was well enough to move back from the medicine den too. Goldpaw would remember to thank Cloverpaw and Feathersway sometime later.

He laid back down, resting his chin on his paws, and his tired eyes were about to close again when two wide emerald orbs opened and pierced through the darkness, seemingly staring into his own. But he sensed those eyes were soft and gentle, familiar too.

"Whitepaw, you're awake?" Goldpaw instantly spoke, rising from his previous position. Whitepaw's green eyes narrowed a bit and she quietly shushed her brother, gesturing to the sleeping cats beneath their paws. Goldpaw cleared his throat, his amber eyes almost laced with an apologetic look, but it flashed by as soon as Whitepaw wondered if it was there.

"Are you still sick?" Goldpaw asked, his voice in a low whisper this time. He padded over to where the she-cat was sitting.

"It's getting a bit better, but I'm not completely healed yet," Whitepaw murmured, swishing her ringed tail back and forth on the ground. She gave a small, lopsided grin. "Ah, don't worry, it's just a little cold is all. Nothing to worry about!"

Goldpaw gave a small nod. Silence began to swirl like an invisible mist around the two.

"So…" Whitepaw said, attempting to start a conversation. Talking to her brother usually just _happened_, it didn't require thinking or anything. But somehow it was different, and the uncomfortable quietness of the atmosphere wasn't much in her liking right now.

"So…?" Goldpaw turned to face her, flicking an ear. He could sense she didn't really have anything to say, and truthfully, neither did he. They both had more things on their minds.

"Um…" Whitepaw gazed up at the shining stars as they twinkled a greeting in the dark night. She'd technically already started the "conversation", and she had to say something now. "Are you excited about your warrior ceremony?"

"Oh, yeah!" Goldpaw's eyes immediately seemed to brighten up and Whitepaw felt somewhat relaxed and happy too. "I almost forgot about that!"

The silver-and-white tabby chuckled a bit. "It's basically everything you dreamed of, Goldpaw. How could you forget about your warrior ceremony?" She knew her brother was eager to become a warrior and full member of the clan, but she knew him too well. Even though his amber eyes masked eagerness and excitement right now, there was something else beneath that. Something that she couldn't quite place…

Maybe she didn't know him well enough.

"I don't know," murmured Goldpaw, eyes cast down at the ground. "I mean, it's a big deal and all, but there's just been some things on my mind lately."

"Things on your mind?" Whitepaw couldn't help but scoff a bit. "You're actually _thinking _about something _important_?"

Goldpaw playfully rolled his eyes. "I'm not a total bird-brain, Whitepaw."

The she-cat sighed. "Anyways, the warrior ceremony?" Whitepaw smirked, reluctantly changing the subject.

"Echowing said I'll probably have the ceremony in about less than a quarter-moon or so," Goldpaw puffed out his chest, answering proudly. "She says I've learned all the fighting and hunting techniques and I'm ready to become a warrior."

Whitepaw sighed again. She looked down at her paws. "I wish I could too. But I'm probably not ready."

"Well, I guess you did come a bit later, but that doesn't really matter, right?" Goldpaw said. "I mean—"

"No, it's not that," his sister cut in. "Stormheart… Well, he says I've been distracted often in training and…" She had a bit of a sad look in her eyes. "I need to focus or else I won't be able to become a warrior."

"Distracted?" Goldpaw's ears pricked up. "By what?"

"Oh… there's just some things I've been going through," Whitepaw mewed back. She could tell by Goldpaw's widened amber eyes that he clearly wanted to know more. But she couldn't tell him yet, despite that it greatly concerned him too.

Goldpaw opened his mouth, but no words came out. He decided he'd stay silent for now, even though he sensed there was much Whitepaw wasn't telling him.

"Whitepaw? Goldpaw?"

The two apprentices spun around at the familiar voice. Two narrowed deep blue orbs stared at them behind the shadows of the dark den.

"Bluepaw, you're awake too?" Whitepaw meowed, coming out more like a hiss because she needed to whisper.

"I am now," Bluepaw growled lowly, his fur ruffled and eyes tired. He thumped his fluffy tail irritably on the ground.

"Sorry," Whitepaw murmured.

"We were just talking," Goldpaw added, his tone instinctively a bit defensive.

Bluepaw's dark blue-grey pelt emerged from the shadows, his ears perked up in sudden curiosity. He sat down beside Goldpaw.

"About?"

"Just… our warrior ceremony," Whitepaw answered. "Ashpaw will probably get his warrior name soon too."

"Oh," Bluepaw managed simply.

Whitepaw looked at both of them. She knew Goldpaw would be eager to talk about becoming warriors, but surely Bluepaw would be too?

Goldpaw's ear twitched and his mouth formed into a tight, straight line. He sensed the awkward air surrounding the three of them.

"I'll-I'll go back to sleep, I guess," the golden tabby said. He sighed and padded back to his nest. "If I still can…"

Whitepaw watched him pad back as Bluepaw turned his gaze on her.

"Is there something on your mind?" he asked. "You don't look as… cheery."

The apprentice she-cat knew he was one of the only cats who could look right through her masks. She sighed. "Yes. But how about you? You aren't exactly happy either."

"Well, things have been happening," Bluepaw replied, his tone flat.

Whitepaw looked down. _If only you knew what and who I've seen…_

"For me too."

Bluepaw shuffled his paws and gazed straight ahead. A faint light was rising from the darkness and both knew it was almost going to be dawn.

"But I know focusing on my clan duties are more important," Bluepaw noted.

She wanted to agree. She wanted to say yes, but she needed answers. Soon.

_Who is Soulfire, really? And Eclipse? How about Echostar and the entire Dark Forest? I need to know…_

Reluctantly, Whitepaw turned to face her brother, her gaze burning into his.

"Look, there's something I need to talk to you about…"

* * *

**Review please, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while but reviews are really what gives me the strength to continue. :)**


	19. Chapter 18: I Promise

**I feel bad for forgetting about this story. XD So here's another chapter in the same day! **

**Btw, character naming contest at the A/N at the end! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 18: I Promise**

The leaves were coated by a thin veil of golden light. Clouds threatened to move over the sun, but for now, the WindClan cats decided to enjoy the nice weather.

A large dark orange tabby strolled in front, a smaller blue-grey she-cat behind him, two apprentices, and a tortoiseshell warrior brought up the rear.

The deputy lifted his muzzle up and sniffed the air.

"The scent of ThunderClan cats is fresh," he remarked, ears twitching in thought.

"The border also seems to be freshly marked," the tortoiseshell she-cat added. "Perhaps they did it earlier today."

"I think you're right, Echowing," Blazershade said. "But we still need to mark our side. Ashpaw and Goldpaw," he turned to the two apprentices, "find suitable places along the border and keep the markings fresh."

"Yes, Blazershade," Ashpaw answered while Goldpaw gave a small nod and bounded off.

They paced along the border, leaving the warriors to their own jobs, and were careful not to trespass onto ThunderClan territory and stir up trouble.

As Goldpaw marked down the last spot, Ashpaw's grey ears pricked up. He turned his gaze at a squirrel lowering itself onto the ground from a trunk of a tree. Closer to ThunderClan territory also meant a denser area of trees, and more perching birds and squirrels were often seen.

"Look, a squirrel," Ashpaw pointed out. "And it's on our side of the border too."

"Great!" Goldpaw spun around and licked his lips. He lowered himself to the ground, his tail sticking straight behind him, his ears flattened and his gaze focused intently on the prey. He started stepping closer, Ashpaw not too far behind him, and was careful not to step on any stray fallen leaves or twigs. When he figured he was close enough, he pushed with his hind legs and pounced.

His paw flung down on the brown squirrel's tail, but the little creature managed to slip away. Goldpaw growled in frustration and gave chase. Ashpaw did too.

"Ashpaw, help me out!" he called to his clanmate.

The grey-and-black apprentice tom leaped onto the low branch of a tree, claws unsheathed and gripping the bark tightly. He rounded on the squirrel and pushed himself off the tree, bolting after his prey.

"I'll send it in your direction!" Ashpaw swiped a paw, just missing the wide-eyed squirrel. However, the squirrel turned directions and little did it know, it was running right into the cats' trap. And that's when Ashpaw realized something too.

Goldpaw suddenly leaped out of the shadows of the bushes and pounced on the squirrel, immediately killing it. He stood up and shook himself off, amber eyes gleaming with pride. Ashpaw trotted over to join him.

"Awesome, I caught it!" Goldpaw announced, chest puffed out a bit. "My first squirrel!"

"Uh, Goldpaw, I—" Ashpaw started.

"Oh, of course! Sorry, I mean _we_. You helped a lot, thanks," Goldpaw interrupted.

"No, it's not that, I just wanted to say—" Ashpaw tried again, but the bushes shook and a lithe shape bounded out, standing just a few tail-lengths in front of the two WindClan cats. Ashpaw didn't need to finish his sentence.

The other cat's soft orange eyes narrowed almost instantly as she saw Ashpaw and Goldpaw.

_Wait, soft orange eyes?_

Ashpaw stepped back a few paces, but Goldpaw held his ground. In fact, he stepped forward. His gaze bore into the other cat's, and he noticed something familiar about her…

"Aren't you…" Goldpaw tried to search his mind for her name. "Dawnpaw?"

He saw the ginger-and-white pelt, the sunset-orange orbs, and knew he saw that cat before.

The young she-cat's hard gaze softened and her eyes widened. "You remember my name?"

"Well, I ran into you at the border, and you wanted to be our little servant when you cats kept us hostages in your clan," Goldpaw tapped the ground with his tail-tip, pretending to be deep in thought.

Dawnpaw growled faintly, acting somewhat defensive when it came to her clan.

"I didn't have the choice!" she exclaimed. "In fact, I would've let you go if it were my choice! But it wasn't, was it?"

Goldpaw looked down at the ground, his eyes narrowed.

Dawnpaw sensed this and dropped the volume of her voice. She swished her tail playfully. "And I'm so nice that I won't even tell on Jaystar that you're over the border."

"We're over the…" Goldpaw mumbled half-heartedly, then his ears pricked up and his eyes widened. "We're over the border?!"

"I was trying to tell you that," Ashpaw cut in from behind them.

Goldpaw growled and stubbornly stepped back to join the grey-and-black tom, aware of the strong scent of the freshly marked border now.

Dawnpaw chuckled and smirked.

"Shouldn't you be heading back to your clan?" Goldpaw finally asked, his tone laced with hints of a growl.

"Shouldn't _you_ be heading back to _yours_?" Dawnpaw countered. She glanced around, her wide orange eyes scanning the leafy surroundings. "Where are your warriors, anyway? You can't be on a border patrol by yourself."

"We aren't alone. They're over by the stream over there," Ashpaw explained. He turned to Goldpaw. "And she has a point, we should really be going back now."

Ashpaw picked up the dead squirrel Goldpaw caught that was laying on the ground and bounded away, flicking his tail and motioning for Goldpaw to follow.

Goldpaw took one last look in the ThunderClan she-cat's direction, his amber eyes staring at hers and partly looking at the invisible scent border, as if silently asking a question he didn't want to say aloud.

_Do you really promise not to tell?_

He watched the ginger-and-white she-cat give him one last, faint smile and disappear back into the trees. But before she did, he saw her mouthing two words to him. At first he didn't get what it was, but as he padded away and the two went their separate ways, he realized it spelled out:

"I promise."

* * *

The rain poured down hard, the beautiful blue sky hidden and shivering behind ominous, dark clouds. It drenched the heavens, drenched the valley and hills, and the breeze blew at the harsh droplets, making them take a diagonal path down to the earth.

But the rain didn't stop him.

His pelt was dull but amidst the grey rain, it shone like a burning flame. His amber eyes narrowed as his claws dug into the ground and he gave a mighty push, charging forward with his fangs at the prey he cornered. Determination burned in his orbs like fire.

_I've trained forever for this moment. Nothing will stop me now._

He knew somewhere, the other apprentices must be training too—his littermates, his friends—or at least getting ready for their upcoming warrior ceremonies, for it was a big deal. But he knew he was ready, he knew he was capable, and he would push himself until he became the best hunter and fighter any cat's ever seen.

_I promise I will._

* * *

**Okay, so there you go! Chapter 18. :)**

**And for the naming contest, I'm sure you all know (well, ones who've been following this story) that the WindClan apprentices' warrior ceremonies are coming up! Cloverpaw, as the medicine cat apprentice, will get hers a little later. **

**And as you probably guessed, I have some ideas for names but I'll see if any of you guys can come up with one that I like even better! **

******XxXxXxXxXxX**

**CONTEST RULES**

**• Nothing that cats don't know of in their names. No gems or anything they don't know. **

**• Please have the name actually refer to their appearance or personality or something. Nothing random, like naming Goldpaw Goldbubbles (which, by the way, is a horrible name).**

**• ONLY ONE NAME PER PERSON. So choose wisely and decide which one's your best! **

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

**NAMING CONTEST FORM**

**Name: (the warrior name you've chosen)**

**Character: (which apprentice it's for; only choose out of Bluepaw, Whitepaw, Goldpaw, Dawnpaw and Ashpaw)**

******XxXxXxXxXxX**

******The winner will have the name they've chosen to be the official one that I choose in the story! :) Just send it in through the review section or PM me!**

******Also, review please! :D**


End file.
